RCB prevails in a thriller, dethrones MI
Perry resurrects the Royal Challengers innings with a vital halfcentury before the spinners, led by Shreyanka, rise to the occasion to defend a modest total
What a season Royal Challengers Bangalore has had! After a seesawing campaign in the league stage, the side — largely thanks to the brilliance of Ellyse Perry — crawled its way into the knockouts. Facing Mumbai Indians — the very side it beat to qualify for the playoffs — RCB’s luck and a few clinical performances under pressure carried the side into the final after it sealed a tense fiverun win in the final over at the Arun Jaitley Stadium here on Friday.
Smriti opted to bat, looking to set a target on a surface that largely stayed slow. RCB fielded its fourth new opening pair, sending an outofform Sophie Devine alongside Smriti Mandhana. The duo got off to a flyer, taking Shabnim Ismail for 14 runs. Hayley Matthews removed Devine, with the ball clipping her off stump in the second over. Smriti fell two deliveries later to Nat SciverBrunt.
Disha Kasat and Ellyse Perry were tasked with steadying the innings, but the former — a regular toporder bat in domestic cricket — crumbled under pressure, falling for a sevenball duck. This forced Richa Ghosh to take guard far earlier than she would have liked. MI’s bowlers cramped her for space much like pedestrians struggle for room in the crowded galis of Old Delhi.
Richa, and Sophie Molineux eventually made their way back to the dugout, leaving Perry to do all the heavy lifting yet again. She scored yet another fifty, with a sublime 50ball 66 helping a oncedoomed RCB total to a respectable 135.
Matthews and Yastika Bhatia started positively but the former’s poor run of form continued after
Shreyanka Patil dismissed her in the fourth over. Perry removed Yastika and kept things tight, sticking to a tried and testing stump line.
SciverBrunt was taken out by Wareham just as she started breaching the boundary.
Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr looked set to take the team through with a 52run stand, but Harman and Sajana soon after found themselves watching nervously from the dugout.
With 12 needed off the last six balls, Smriti turned to Asha Sobhana who helped keep things tight, removed Pooja Vastrakar and closed out a dicey win, defending the lowest score in the tournament.
RCB will lock horns with Delhi Capitals as both bid for a maiden WPL title on Sunday.