Mumbai, March 5: The power of Shafali Verma’s strokes combined with Meg Lanning’s experience in a sensational 162-run opening-wicket stand helped Delhi Capitals to a thumping 60-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Women’s Premier League opener here on Sunday.
American left-arm pace bowler Tara Norris then came to the party, grabbing a fifer for DC to decimate the Smriti Mandhana-led team.
A day after her Indian skipper Harmanpreet Kaur had led Mumbai Indians to 207/5 in the inaugural match of the tournament, the 19-year-old Shafali took WPL to a new high with her explosive display of 84 off just 45 balls (10×4, 4×6).
The legendary five-time World Cup-winning Australian skipper Lanning, was also at her attacking best in a 43-ball 72 (14×4) as the duo demolished a listless RCB attack to take the WPL score to an imposing 223/2.
In reply, RCB got off to a spectacular start but left-arm pacer from USA Norris (4-0-29-5) and Alice Capsey (2-0-10-2) dragged them down to 163 for eight in the stipulated 20 overs.
Norris, who became the first Associate player in the WPL, ripped through the star-studded RCB middle order taking the wickets of Ellyse Perry (31), Richa Ghosh (2) and Heather Knight (34) to send half of their batters back into the hut for 93 in 12.2 overs.
She bowled with pace and got the WPL’s first fifer with Kanika Ahuja’s scalp.
India vice-captain and WPL’s costliest player Mandhana, and Sophie Devine fired on all cylinders. At the four-over mark, they were 41 for no loss, way ahead of DC’s 29/0 at the same stage.
But English off-spinner Capsey triggered a stunning collapse, dismissing the duo in successive overs. She first accounted for the Kiwi batter for 14 (11b; 3×4) when Shafali took a stunning diving catch.
Mandhana then gifted her wicket away with a top edge to Shikha Pandey.
The loss reminded one of RCB’s 140-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League in the inaugural edition in 2008, when they folded up for 82 in reply to KKR’s 222/3. (PTI)
