WPL 2023, GG vs DC blog: Sensational Shafali Verma helps DC chase 105 in the 8th over

That is it for the blog. A short match but what an innings from Shafali Verma. MI and DC are pulling away from the rest. On Sunday, the leaders MI take on Alyssa Healy’s UPW. That should be spicy.

Player of the match: Marizanne Kapp for her five-for

Meg Lanning: “I was cheerleading.” Shafali Verma can remember that for the rest of her life.

Shafali Verma’s innings: 1-0-0-6-4-1-4-4-4-1-1-4-4-6-0-4-1-4-1-0-6-6-0-4-6-0-0-4

An incredible innings by Shafali Verma:

DC 107/0 after 7.1 overs: DC WIN BY 10 WICKETS! And 12.5 overs to spare. Madness.

DC 103/0 after 7 overs: BREAKING! Two dot balls in that over to Shafali Verma from Joshi. But hey, she still manages a six-four and four either side of those.

DC 87/0 after 6 overs: TWO SIXES! Shafali Verma is not stopping. This is unreal. Two superb lofted shots in Kanwer’s over. What is going on! What a powerplay.

DC 72/0 after 5 overs: Shafali misses out on the fastest fifty mark in the tournament but gets there in 19 balls with two more fours in Joshi’s over.

DC 57/0 after 4 overs: This is incredible. A hat-trick of fours for Shafali in the Garth over and then Gardner’s over goes for a whopping 23 runs! Two fours for Lanning, and two fours and a six for Shafali.

DC 18/0 after 2 overs: SHAFALI! A superbly timed six over long off and then a four to follow. Shafali takes on Kanwer. Meanwhile, Rana is off the field.

DC 4/0 after 1 over: CHANCE! But too tough. Shafali smacks a full ball back at Garth who can just about get a hand to it.

GG 105/9 after 20 overs: Kapp, typically hard on herself, starts off the interview saying her performance is three matches too late. But what a spell she bowled.

GG 105/9 after 20 overs: A decent recovery all said and done by GG as they play out the 20 overs and are not bowled out either. Joshi with a four in that last over.

GG 96/9 after 19 overs: Shikha Pandey has bowled well, inducing a plethora of false shots (edges on both sides) but not having the wickets to show for. Finishes with 3/26 today. Rana lofts one up straight to the bowler. Rana c & b Pandey 2 (3 balls)

GG 94/8 after 18.4 overs: OUCH! Rana is in at No 10 and gets hit on the helmet first ball.

GG 94/8 after 18.3 overs: WICKET! Rodrigues does the floss after taking a good catch at long on. End of a decent little innings by Tanuja Kanwer, as change of pace pays off. Kanwer c Rodrigues b Pandey 13 (19 balls)

GG 93/7 after 18 overs: Jonassen with a tidy over, no boundary conceded. But GG continue to inch towards 100.

GG 89/7 after 17 overs: Another day, another edge in Pandey’s over for four. A boundary each for Kanwer and Wareham in that over.

GG 78/7 after 16 overs: Kanwer and Garth keep the scoreboard ticking for here. The left-hander is showing good intent too. A 100 could be on the cards here.

GG 71/7 after 14 overs: Good second over from Mani, a close LBW shout that Lanning reviews. But umpire’s call stays.

GG 67/7 after 13 overs: Have to imagine Sneh Rana’s hand injury (non-bowling arm) is serious enough to prevent her from batting high. Kanwer is the new batter.

GG 66/7 after 12.1 overs: WICKET! Radha was hit for a four but she comes back well with a slower, fuller delivery. End of a good little innings from Wareham. Wareham b Yadav 22 (25 balls)

GG 62/6 after 12 overs: This is another solid over for GG, rotating well off Jonassen.

GG 57/6 after 11 overs: The partnership going steady for now. Still Rana to bat, if they can somehow bat their quota of 20 overs then GG would have done well from here.

After just one over for Norris, Pandey returns.

GG 54/6 after 10 overs: Slightly expensive over but a lovely smooth off-spinner’s action there for Mani. Garth cuts one away for four.

Minnu Mani’s first spell of the WPL

GG 46/6 after 9 overs: Time for a timeout. We all need it.

GG 40/6 after 8 overs: For the sake of contest, a lower-order revival for GG would be good. Both Garth and Wareham are solid batters.

GG 33/6 after 7 overs: Dream spell by Kapp, finishes with 4-0-15-5.

GG 33/6 after 6.5 overs: WICKET! FIVE-FOR! KAPP! WOW. This is astonishing. Another length ball that seams into the batter and Kapp nails the top of off. Verma b Kapp 2 (10 balls)

Kapp will bowl her fourth straight.

GG 31/5 after 6 overs: A penny for Dunkley’s thoughts. GG have been stunned in the powerplay. Jonassen with a quiet over. Wareham and Sushma Verma in the middle now.

GG 28/5 after 4.4 overs: WICKET! Wow. That is a terrific off cutter, looks close in real time. DC use the review again and again the decision is overturned! Deol lbw b Kapp 20 (14 balls0

GG 23/4 after 4 overs: The pacers have put DC right on top.

GG 18/4 after 3.3 overs: WICKET! And the procession continues. Pandey induces the outside edge and Lanning went for the immediately. Yep, clearly outside edge. Hemalatha c Bhatia b Pandey 5 (5 balls)

‘The fire that she has...’: The many sides of Marizanne Kapp, through the eyes of Dane van Niekerk

GG 9/3 after 2.3 overs: WICKET! TWO IN TWO! And it is the big one. Ash Gardner is out for a first-ball duck. Nearly identical delivery to the one that got Wolvaardt, just that Gardner has her pad in front. Review returns umpire’s call. Gardner lbw b Kapp 0 (1 ball)

GG 9/2 after 2.2 overs: WICKET! KAPP! She gets her counterpart early. Another perfect delivery with the new ball. Hit a good length, moved in a tad bit. Timber again. Wolvaardt b Kapp 1 (2 balls)

GG 8/1 after 2 overs: Radha Yadav into the attack early with two RHBs in the middle. Deol with a lovely lofted drive over cover for four. Good use of the feet. Wolvaardt gets off the mark too

GG 1/1 after 1 over: No strike for Wolvaardt in the opening over, Harleen is the new batter. She was terrific in the last match, GG need her to fire again.

GG 0/1 after 0.2 overs: WICKET! What a ball to get early on. Fast and full, Meghana is late to get her bat down and timber. Meghana b Kapp 0 (2 balls)

Meghana and Wolvaardt in the middle, Kapp has the ball in hand.

Gujarat Giants XI : S Meghana, Laura Wolvaardt, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, Sushma Verma(w), Dayalan Hemalatha, Sneh Rana(c), Kim Garth, Mansi Joshi, Tanuja Kanwar

Delhi Capitals XI: Meg Lanning(c), Shafali Verma, Marizanne Kapp, Jemimah Rodrigues, Laura Harris, Jess Jonassen, Taniya Bhatia(w), Minnu Mani, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Tara Norris

TEAM NEWS: And Delhi bring in Laura Harris (Grace’s sister and equally explosive with the bat) for an unwell Alice Caspey. Lanning will be hoping to bounce back quickly after a frustrating defeat.

TEAM NEWS: Grace Harris got dropped by UPW after the stunning innings she played against GG. Sophia Dunkley now got dropped by GG after a 18-ball half century. I know only 4 overseas and all, but both decisions baffle me.

TOSS: Sneh Rana wins the toss and opts to bat on a fresh wicket.

ICYMI: Gujarat Giants have signed South African batter Laura Wolvaardt to replace injured skipper Beth Mooney for the remainder of the Women’s Premier League 2023 season.

The Australian batter retired hurt after sustaining a calf strain in the tournament opener against the Mumbai Indians which the Giants eventually lost by a massive 143 runs. Since then, the side is being led by Railways captain and Indian all-rounder Sneh Rana.

06.55 pm: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of Women’s Premier League. It’s match No 9 and it is Gujarat Giants vs Delhi Capitals.

After some high stake contests for different reasons over the last couple of days, today is the chance for either Capitals to pull away from the pack a bit or for Giants to make things very interesting on the points table. Giants can make it 4 points for three teams below Mumbai Indians. But DC will be itching to bounce back after their heavy defeat against MI.

The venue is the DY Patil Stadium for this one, and a fresh pitch in use.

Photos / screenshots in the blog courtesy: Sportzpics / wplt20.com and JioCinema