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We now come to the conclusion of our coverage of the Women's Premier League for today. A decisive clash between the UP Warriorz and the Gujarat Giants is lined up tomorrow - a win for the Warriorz tomorrow will further spice the fight for the playoffs between them and the Royal Challengers Bangalore! Join us right here on Sportskeeda for our coverage of the same, and of course, a whole lot more - there's plenty of cricket lined up from early in the morning till well past midnight tomorrow! This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Pradeep Somasekhar. Good night!
This WPL season just doesn't stop giving, does it? Thriller after thriller after thriller - the Delhi Capitals have had their nerves tested more often in recent times, but they come out on top tonight, and now, with qualification for playoffs sealed, DC will be keen on sealing that top spot to attain that berth in the summit clash. A case of so near, yet so far for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, but they still are above the UP Warriorz in the points table. A win over the Mumbai Indians in their last league game on Tuesday will all but seal their spot in the eliminator. Tough clash, but having had a test of character tonight, RCB sure will pour their hearts out to go that extra step the next time!
Jemimah Rodrigues is the Player Of The Match! Here's what she has to say: Firstly I think it's good that we have two days to recover from this. We've played three last-ball games, honestly, this was such a blessing that it ended in our favour. Could have gone either way, but the only talk we had was to stay calm, keep at it, and everything else will fall into place. Focusing on that next ball, nothing else, helped us in the end. Honestly, after losing to UP, for some reason I just had this feeling that it was going to work out for the good. JB in the dressing room said we have more experience than what it looks. The next time we play a semi or a final, we'll know what to do from our mistakes. Today, the pitch was a bit slower and lower. The same pitch they used yesterday. I kept that in mind, and was aware that even if I look ugly, I need to get effective runs. At the end, me coming in and getting this POTM is great, but tonight, it was a complete team effort. Shikha di bowling that 16th over to Sophie Devine and Richa Ghosh - two quality hitters in international cricket was top. I think it was an entire team game today. I feel for her (Richa) I think to get this exposure - only the WPL could do this. I told her, this experience will help you hit the winning runs in a World Cup final.
Meg Lanning, Delhi Capitals captain: That was way too stressful. Couple of games now, thankfully we were on the right side this time. I probably look calmer than what I am on the inside, that's important. We feel like we've done a lot right in the games, even the ones we lost. We just haven't quite nailed the big moments, we were able to do so tonight. We laid a really good platform, our score at the halfway mark was good but not enough, especially with the firepower they have. I think our bowlers did great to defend that. Just sort of conditions and match-up (On Capsey being brought on early) but it worked really well tonight. When you got set batters out there, it is tough to contain them.
Jess Jonassen: Kappy was saying, because I wasn't looking at the stumps, glad I didn't miss them. Going into that over, I was confident as long as I don't get hit for a six first ball, that's what happened, bowled in the slot and put her in the backfoot after that. The last one was also was in the slot as well, it's one of those games, nice to be on this side after that loss the other night.. We were just sort of thinking to get mid-wicket in to stop the two, working on the boundary riders, Richa was going to hit the boundary regardless, I was going to try and hit her toes, ultimately it came off. Meg just keeps everyone calm, she knows the right things to say, when to say. Jemmie was calm near the ropes, Shikha as well and Kappy too. We've played a lot of cricket, knew every ball matters. I've made it really hard for us in the end, won it, lost it and won it again. As a team we've been put under immense pressure, but we've come back well. We need to finish the round games still and target the silverware. One of those one's, few players including myself, disappointed how we output. We're really good at picking each other up. When Alice dropped the catch, we supported her, we gave her the hug when Shikha got Perry run-out later on, we want each other to be successful as possible.
Smriti Mandhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore captain): Definitely a tough loss to take, the way we were batting, especially Richa, sometimes when you lose you don't credit enough. Shreya was brilliant with the bowl, pulled things back. She had a niggle, player like her quality, there's no choice of dropping, she was really fighting out for match win, especially the final over she bowled was brilliant. Doesn't change the way I want to bat, would've loved to contributed today, but doesn't change a lot of my mindset, I've played with different partners in the last 10 years of international cricket. We've seen a lot of Richa in the international circuit. Perry was going well, unfortunately she got run-out and Sophie's cameo was good. Message is clear, one run doesn't make us a bad team, we really believe that could've chased it and the middle order stepped up and was delighted, we need to come back stronger the day after.
A game full of twists, turns, thrills, and some bad spills. At the end of 20 overs, experience triumphed over exuberance - Jess Jonassen, trusted with the ball with 17 to get off the last over, erred in line and length on a couple of occasions, but the left-handed all-rounder, having been here before on numerous occasions, had mastered the art of keeping her nerve, knew where to bowl, and the Capitals, by virtue of a win tonight, climb back to the top of the table and qualify for the playoffs!
Take absolutely nothing away from Richa Ghosh, though. Bigger stars were expected to pull off what she just about managed to tonight - RCB were behind the 8-ball for most of the run-chase, but the partnership between Sophie Devine and Richa Ghosh pulled things back for the team in red and black before the former holed out off Marizanne Kapp in the South African's last over. The onus was on a well-set Richa Ghosh to make an effort to take RCB through, and boy, she sure put in more than that!
The Capitals started off slowly, with Capsey claiming Mandhana in the second over. While Ellyse Perry teed off, Sophie Molineux, promoted all the way up the order, struggled to up the ante from her side, and in the process, the pressure began piling up. It told eventually as Perry was run out looking for an improbable single, Molineux was expertly held by Rodrigues the next over, and the Capitals were on the front foot at the time.
A brief onslaught from Sophie Devine kept things interesting - Radha Yadav was taken to the cleaners by the burly Kiwi all-rounder in her final over. With 42 needed off the last three, Devine holed out, but then, we saw a young Indian talent exhibit her skills in front of a crowd of close to 23,000 at the Arun Jaitley stadium. Richa Ghosh looked knackered as she unfurled a mix of power and deftness to bring it down to 17 off the last over, almost pulled it off under immense pressure.... but it was not to be.
The Capitals manage to bury the ghosts of the game against the Mumbai Indians tonight, and join them in the playoffs. Presentations coming up soon....
So, so close, and yet, so far for the Royal Challengers Bangalore! Richa stays down - both she and Shreyanka bury their faces on the ground! What a match this has been, what a comeback this was from the hosts - it is Jess Jonassen who prevails with her experience! She kept it wide of Richa Ghosh as she backed away, and while she made contact - Richa just didn't have the legs to hare across to the other end eventually. The players get together as the DC players console a distraught Richa Ghosh - what a truly valiant effort this was from her! The Siliguri-born keeper sure is a superstar in the making!
20
overs
181/6score
6
0
1W
2
6
1
runs
Richa Ghosh*
52(29)
Shreyanka Patil
0(0)
Jess Jonassen
0/40
19.6 Jess Jonassen to Richa Ghosh, RUN-OUT! HAS RICHA MADE IT? Capitals think they've Richa. Umpire goes upstairs to check this. Richa hasn't made it and Delhi Capitals have won the cliffhanger! Agony for RCB, so close yet so far. Richa is down on her haunches, tears in her eyes. Length delivery on the fourth stump, Ghosh slices it straight to covers, Richa had to really hare across, she never would've made it as the throw was spot on and Jonassen collects and whips the bails off. Bangalore short of just one run in a magnificent thriller!
Richa Ghosh run out (Shafali Verma/Jess Jonassen) 51 (29b, 4x4, 3x6)
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Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi
Richa Ghosh
*
Jess Jonassen
Video
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