CHENNAI: Skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (51 n.o) and Marizanne Kapp (10 n.o off 6 balls) held their nerve to secure a crucial seven-wicket win for Delhi Capitals against Mumbai Indians in the Women's Premier League on Tuesday.
Chasing 155, DC got off to a good start with Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee putting their foot on the accelerator. Verma started off with a gorgeous drive through extra cover off Shabnim Ismail on the very first ball. And Lee got going against Nicola Carey. The two explosive batters did not leave anything to chance in what was a important game for DC. They smashed 57 runs in the powerplay without losing any wicket but Amanjot slowed things down.
And it paid off with G Kamalini's replacement Vaishnavi Sharma cleaning up Verma. Lee held the innings together after that as she took DC 83/1 in 10.2 overs. Set for a big score, Lee was adjudged stumped in a marginal decision for 46 from 28 balls. Laura Wolvaardt succumed to an unfortunate run out at non-striker end, leaving the chase to skipper Rodrigues and Marizanne Kapp.
Earlier, put into bat, MI had dropped their top billing player Amelia Kerr and Sajana S opened with Hayley Matthews. However, both of them fell early with Nandini Sharma and Marizanne Kapp making inroads.
Once again, it was down to Harmanpreet Kaur who took charge. The captain continued her good form, building a partnership with English all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt. Together, they added 78 runs for the third wickets and looked set to post a massive total.
That is when NR Sree Charani gave Delhi a much-needed breakthrough. Charani removed Harmanpreet, who was batting on 41, and put brakes on MI innings. The spinner from Kadappa kept chipping away from thereon, ensuring that the defending champions do not have the momentum. She removed the dangerous Carey and Amanjot in the same over, leaving MI at 134/5 in 17.5 overs. However, Sciver-Brunt, who had already registered her fifty, took it upon herself as MI scored 20 runs in last two overs.
Brief scores: MI 154/5 in 20 ovs (Sciver-Brunt 65 n.o, Harmanpreet 41; Sree Charani 3/33) lost to DC 155/3 in 19 ovs (Rodrigues 51 n.o, Lee 48).