Capitals survive Richa’s heroics to snatch a thriller against RCB
The Delhi side rides on Jemimah and Capsey’s 97run partnership to post 181; the RCB wicketkeeperbatter’s 29ball 51 just fails to take her team past the finish line as Lanning & Co. prevail by a solitary run; Shreyanka’s fourfor goes in vain
Asuperior fielding effort and sheer resilience saw home side Delhi Capitals seal a heartstopping onerun win against Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Sunday.
Needing 181 to win, RCB lost skipper Smriti Mandhana early. Ellyse Perry and Sophie Molineux’s 80run stand consolidated the chase. A dramatic 11th over saw Alice Capsey first drop Perry at long off. Shikha Pandey and Taniya Bhatia made sure Capsey and DC didn’t pay a heavy price, running out the Aussie all rounder off the last ball of the same over.
After Arundhati Reddy dismissed Molineux, the onus fell on Sophie Devine and Richa Ghosh’s shoulders. With 40 needed off the last 18, Marizanne Kapp dismissed Devine off the first ball of the 18th.
It boiled down to Richa with 17 needed off the last over. Richa creamed the ball over Jonassen’s head for six. Disha Kasat was run out with no contribution to the scoreboard off the next.
After a nervy couple of runs, Richa got the maximum over the longest side of boundary to bring up her fifty. With two runs needed off the last ball, Jonassen went full with Richa just managing to get the ball to backward point. Some sharp work from Jonassen saw her first smash the stumps at the nonstrikers and do the same at the other end. Review showed Richa well short of the crease, sending DC into the playoffs.
Inconsolable
Richa was inconsolable at the end of it all, with Lanning, Jemimah and others going up to comfort her. “This will sting but the sun will rise tomorrow and she’ll get over it,” Perry said after the game.
Earlier, Lanning opted to bat with the Capitals starting off cautiously. With the openers falling soon after the PowerPlay, Alice Capsey and Jemimah Rodrigues took over the baton frustrated the RCB bowlers no end, stitching a 97run partnership which ultimately helped the side put up a competitive total.
No total is safe at the Kotla but if there was a team to defend one when the chasing side was going hammer and tongs, it was a fielding side as relentless as the Capitals.