WPL: Women end RCB’s long wait

New delhi, March 17

Royal Challengers Bangalore won their maiden Women’s Premier League title after their spinners restricted Delhi Captials to 113, setting the stage for an eight-wicket victory with just three balls to spare. Chasing a modest total, Bangalore started slowly and weathered the loss of openers Sophie Devine (32) and captain Smriti Mandhana (31) before Ellyse Perry (35 not out) and Richa Ghosh (17 not out) led them to victory in the final over.

Delhi captain Meg Lanning won the toss and chose to bat, the same decision she made last year when her team lost the final of the inaugural edition to Mumbai Indians.

Shafali Verma (44) and Lanning (23) started well with a blistering 64-run opening stand in seven overs before Sophie Molineux (3/20) put the stops on their charge with three wickets in four balls.

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Orange cap: Ellyse Perry (347 runs)

Purple Cap: Shreyanka Patil (13 wickets)

Player of the Series: Deepti Sharma (295 runs, 10 wickets)

Sobhana Asha (2/14) and Shreyanka Patil (4/12) then chipped in with wickets at regular intervals to clean up the middle-order and tail as Delhi collapsed and were dismissed for 113 in 18.3 overs.

Delhi’s Shikha Pandey (1/11) and Minnu Mani (1/12) had some success in containing Bangalore’s run rate in the first 12 overs, but Perry and Ghosh regained the momentum in the last five overs, to ensure victory.

“Finals are funny games,” Molineux said after winning the Player of the Match award. “We knew it was going down to the wire.”

While the Bangalore men’s team has never won the Indian Premier League title despite reaching the final three times, the women’s team triumphed in the WPL’s second season, ending the franchisee’s trophy drought.

“Bangalore fans are the most loyal… nothing could have happened without them,” Mandhana said to the cheers of her team’s supporters who were present in large numbers despite the game being held in Delhi. “They have waited for this a very long time.”

Brief scores: Delhi Capitals: 113 all out in 18.3 overs (Shafali 44; Shreyanka 4/12, Molineux 3/20); Royal Challengers Bangalore: 115/2 in 19.3 overs (Perry 35*, Devine 32, Mandhana 31). — Agencies