WPL 2024: Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals reclaim top spot with 25-run win as Gujarat Giants suffer fourth loss in a row

In the absence of Harleen Deol and Sneh Rana, Gujarat Giants (GG) suffered their fourth consecutive defeat in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024. Meg-Lanning-led Delhi Capitals (DC) registered a 25-run win at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru to reclaim the top spot on the points table. After Lanning’s second half-century of the season, three-fers from left-arm spinners Radha Yadav and Jess Jonassen helped the Capitals win by a comfortable margin. 
 

Lanning’s record-breaking fifty

Gujarat Giants skipper Beth Mooney won the toss and opted to field first. Shafali Verma attacked Tanuja Kanwar in the first over itself. Meghna Singh dismissed the opener in her first over. Alice Capsey used the fielding restrictions well. Capsey hit five fours in her 17-ball 27 cameo before losing her wicket to Meghna. Lanning started accelerating in the 10th over as she hit Tarannum Pathan for a six. She was given a reprieve as Phoebe Litchfield dropped her catch in the 11th over. She reached her half-century with a boundary. She took 39 balls to reach her fifty. She also became the fastest to 9,000 runs in T20 cricket. 

Cameos help DC finish well

Meghna once again provided the breakthrough. Lanning departed for a 41-ball 55. In the next over, Jemimah Rodrigues fell for a single-digit score to Mannat Kashyap. Jess Jonassen hit a six after getting dropped but lost her wicket to Ashleigh Gardner's next ball. Annabel Sutherland contributed with a 12-ball 20 before becoming Tanuja Kanwar's victim in the 17th over. Gardner in her last over dismissed Arundhati Reddy. In the final over, Shikhar Pandey's 8-ball 14 helped DC post 163/8. Yadav got out lbw off the last ball as Meghna completed her fifer.

Early wickets derail run chase

Titas Sadhu started with a maiden over. In the next over, Pandey dismissed Laura Wolvaardt for a three-ball duck. Litchfield hit the first six of the innings after getting dropped. In her second over, Pandey conceded three fours. In the fifth over, Jonassen struck twice. Mooney (12) got out lbw whereas Litchfield (15) handed an easy catch to Sutherland. Yadav dropped Veda Krishnamurthy's catch in the next over. She made up for it by dismissing Krishnamurthy in her first over. Gardner took on Reddy and hit a six followed by a four. At the halfway stage, the Giants were 72/4.

Gardner’s effort in vain

Yadav in her next over dismissed Kathryn Bryce for a single-digit score. Gardner tried to revive the run chase but rhe required run rate kept climbing. She got stumped in the 15th over off Jonassen's bowling. Gardner scored 40 runs from 31 balls including five fours and a six. Yadav in her last over dismissed Kanwar (13). Reddy dismissed Pathan in the 18th over. Giants managed to post 138/8 and lost the match by 25 runs.
 

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