DC vs MI Final: Who won yesterday's match in WPL 2023?
Mumbai Indians (MI) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) by seven wickets in yesterdayβs Womenβs Premier League (WPL) 2023 final at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.
Bowling first after losing the toss, MI held Delhi to 131/9 as Issy Wong and Hayley Matthews claimed three wickets each. Then, like in the Eliminator, Nat Sciver-Brunt (60* off 55) balls starred with the bat as MI got past the winning line in 19.3 overs to be crowned inaugural WPL champions.
Chasing 132, Mumbai lost their first wicket to a full toss. Yastika Bhatia (four) tried to take on Radha Yadav, but only managed to sky a catch to deep midwicket, where Alice Capsey fumbled but held on.
Jess Jonassen then got the massive scalp of Matthews (13), who whipped the left-arm spinner to mid-on. Sciver-Brunt and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (37 off 39), however, added 72 for the third wicket to put MI in a strong position.
The duo began cautiously before breaking the shackles by smacking Capsey for two fours in the 12th over. Harmanpreet's run-out at the start of the 17th over, going for a risky single, kept DC in the hunt. However, Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr (14* off eight) took MI to victory with some key boundaries under pressure.
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With 21 needed off the last two overs, the two duo combined to smash Jess Jonassen for three boundaries in the over which went for 16. Fittingly, Sciver-Brunt hit the winning runs, scooping Capsey over the keeper for four.
Late blitz lifts Delhi to 131/9
Wong (3/42), Matthews (3/5) and Kerr (2/18) shone with the ball to keep Delhi on the backfoot for most of their innings. However, a blazing last-wicket stand of 52* in just 24 balls between Shikha Pandey (27* off 17) and Radha Yadav (27* off 12) lifted DC past 130.
The WPL 2023 final got off to a bizarre start as Wong claimed three wickets inside the powerplay, all of them with full tosses. The first wicket fell in controversial fashion as Shafali Verma (11 off four) was caught at point off a high full toss after the batter smashed Wong for six and four off consecutive deliveries.
DC went for a review, but the third umpire ruled in the bowling sideβs favor. In the same over, Capsey (0) chipped another high full toss to cover. Delhi again went for a review, but this time there was no doubt about the decision. Luck continued to favor Wong as Jemimah Rodrigues (nine) chipped another full toss to point.
Delhi continued to stumble as Marizanne Kapp (18 off 21) was caught behind off a tossed-up delivery from Kerr that held its line. Disaster struck for the batting side when skipper Meg Lanning (35 off 29) was run-out following a mix-up with Jonassen. Lanningβs dismissal left DC in massive strife at 74/5.
Arundhati Reddy (0) top-edged a sweep off Kerr, while Matthews had Jonassen (two) caught and bowled after dropping her off the previous delivery. Matthews also dismissed Minnu Mani (one) and Taniya Bhatia (0) in one over to reduce Delhi to 79/9.
Pandey and Yadav then led a feisty fightback for DC. Pandey whacked Wong for a six and two fours in the penultimate over. Yadav finished off the innings by launching the last two balls of the 20th over from Sciver-Brunt over the ropes.
DC vs MI: Who Won Player of the Match in yesterday's WPL 2023 Final Match?
MI pacer Wong got three big wickets - Shafali, Capsey and Rodrigues. Itβs another matter that all of them came via full tosses. Matthews was sensational with figures of 3/5, two of her four overs were maidens. Kerr chipped in with a couple of scalps and a handy cameo at the end.
Sciver-Brunt guided the chase brilliantly with an unbeaten half-century. She found the boundary in key phases to ensure Mumbai did not fall way behind the asking rate. Harmanpreet chipped in with a captainβs knock, giving fine support to Sciver-Brunt.
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For Delhi, Pandey and Yadavβs cameos with the bat lifted them to a respectable score. They were economical with the ball as well, but did not have enough runs on the board.
Sciver-Brunt was named Player of the Match in the final for her defining innings.