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Lanning scores brilliant 50 as Capitals hammer Mumbai Indians

football28 February 2025 17:25| © MWP
By:CS Chiwanza
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Meg Lanning carved an outstanding unbeaten half-century to lead the Delhi Capitals Women to a comprehensive nine-wicket victory with 33 balls remaining over Mumbai Indians Women in their Tata Indian Premier League match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday night.

Harmanpreet Kaur, the Mumbai Indians captain, called incorrectly at the toss and Lanning elected to bowl first.

Her bowlers backed up her call by restricting Mumbai Indians to 123-9 in 20 overs.

The Capitals required only 14.3 overs to reach 124-1 and claim victory.

The victory lifts the Capitals to the top of the table. It is also their second win over Mumbai Indians this season.

The two sides met in the season opener and the Capitals executed a heist to grab a last-ball win.

They showed up a better side in Bengaluru.

“We very badly needed this win. We have not been playing our best cricket but were managing wins. Good victory and we will take a lot of confidence (from this),” Jemimah Rodrigues shared after the contest.

MILESTONE FOR LANNING

Lanning creamed nine fours for her unbeaten 60 off 49 deliveries.

This is her eighth WPL half-century and she faced 40 balls to reach the milestone.

The Capitals captain now holds the record for the most 50s in the history of the WPL.

It is both her second half-ton of the season and also her second against Mumbai Indians.

Lanning and Shafali Verma are arguably the most successful opening partnership in the WPL.

They mounted an 85-run opening partnership to see the Capitals home.

Harmanpreet Kaur's bowlers had no answers to the duo. 

Verma, who was seeing the ball well, crunched four fours and three sixes for her 28-ball 43.

After Verma's dismissal, Jemimah Rodrigues (15) kept Lanning company as she shepherded her side home.

BRILLIANT BOWLING FROM THE CAPITALS

The Capitals set up the victory with brilliant bowling earlier in the night.

They consistently hit good areas, which allowed them to pull things back whenever it looked like Mumbai Indians were running away with the game.

Minnu Mani was the Capitals' most successful bowler with three wickets for 17 runs in three overs.

She accounted for Amelia Kerr, Sajeevana Sajana and Sanskriti Gupta.

Jess Jonassen, who came in to bowl in the middle overs, bagged the crucial wickets of Nat Sciver-Brunt, who has been outstanding for Mumbai Indians, Harmanpreet Kaur and G Kamalini. 

She finished with three wickets for 25 runs in four overs.

Mumbai Indians enjoyed a fruitful spell in the powerplay, scything 31 runs off the first four overs.

However, just when it looked like Mumbai Indians were headed for a massive powerplay total, the Capitals mounted a fightback with the ball.

They dragged down the run rate by stringing dot balls together in the fifth and sixth overs.

The pressure created by the run-drought resulted in two wickets in five deliveries.

“We struggled to score runs in the first six overs. We got some rhythm in between but could not continue. That (score) was not enough and we were definitely short by 30-40 runs,” Harmanpreet Kaur shared after the match.

Harmanpreet Kaur arrived at the crease in no mood to let the Capitals' bowling attack dictate terms. 

The Mumbai Indians captain carved two fours and a single six to swing the pendulum in her side's favour.

However, just when she seemed settled, Jess Jonassen struck, trapping her lbw.

Mumbai Indians' innings petered off at that point. Their middle order was just no match to the Capitals' bowling attack.

Amanjot Kaur tried to mount a lower fightback, however, her effort was not enough to lift them to a defendable total.

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