WPL: Really good effort by bowlers to take it till 20th over, says RCB skipper Mandhana after 6 wicket loss to DC

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 14 (ANI): Following her side’s six-wicket loss to Delhi Capitals in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) match, Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Smriti Mandhana said that her side’s batting in first 14 overs cost them the game, but bowlers put on a great effort to take things till the final over.

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) winless run in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) continued as they sunk to their fifth straight loss after the pair of Jess Jonassen and Marizanne Kapp downed their opponents’ fighting bowling unit in a last-over thriller at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
“It was a really good effort by our bowlers to take it till the 20th over. Definitely a lot of improvements but a lot of things to work on still. The partnership got us into the game, they both batted brilliantly. They used their experience to get us to a defendable total. Not the best of the starts, including my batting. The first 14 overs really hurt us, even 10-15 runs more would have helped. Towards the fag-end of the tournament, the wickets are going to get slower. Even in the last game, spinners got the ball to turn and pace-off and slower balls were working,” said Mandhana in a post-match presentation.

With this win, RCB is at the bottom of the table with zero points. DC is at the second position with four wins in five games and a loss. They have a total of eight points.

After being put to bat first by DC, RCB posted a total of 150/4 in their 20 overs. After a poor start which saw them 63/3 in 12.4 overs, a late flourish from Ellyse Perry (67* in 52 balls with four boundaries and five sixes) and Richa Ghosh (37 off 16 balls with three fours and three sixes) helped RCB reach a respectable total. The duo put on a quickfire stand of 74 runs for the fourth wicket in just 46 balls.

Shikha Pandey (3/23) was the pick of the bowlers for DC. Tara Norris also picked up a wicket.

Chasing 151, DC was always in chase but lost wickets at critical times. Loss of in-form opening pair of Lanning (15) and Shafali Verma (0) cheaply really hurt Delhi and they were at 70/3 in 8.4 overs. Alice Capsey played a brilliant knock of 38 runs in 24 balls. Jemimah Rodrigues (32) brought back DC into the game with a 39-run stand with Kapp.

But RCB bowlers kept the run-rate in check. In the last over, RCB needed to defend nine runs. But the pair of Kapp (32* in 32 balls with three fours and a six) and Jonassen (29* in 15 balls with four boundaries and a six) took DC to the target with two balls to spare. They put on an unbeaten 45-runs for the fifth wicket.

Asha Shobana (2/27) impressed with the ball for RCB. Megan Schutt and Preeti Bose took a scalp each.

Jonassen clinched the ‘Player of the Match’ title for her match-winning cameo.

Brief Scores: RCB: 150/4 (Ellyse Perry 67*, Richa Ghosh 37, Shikha Pandey 3/23) lost to Delhi Capitals: 154/4 (Alice Capsey 38, Marizanne Kapp 32, Asha Shobana 2/27).