Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz by nine wickets in Match 4 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru to register their first win in the TATA WPL 2024.
Splendid spells from Marizanne Kapp (3/5) and Radha Yadav (4/20) helped DC restrict UPW to 119/9. Kapp set the tone, picking up three wickets inside the Powerplay and then Yadav joined the party to bamboozle the batters with her spin, flight and guile.
Shafali Verma then came out all guns blazing and smashed 64* off 43 balls, adding 119 runs for the opening wicket with Meg Lanning (51 off 43), to power DC to an emphatic win.
Chasing 120, Delhi Capitals got off to a solid start as Shafali Verma brought up the fifty-run stand off just 35 balls and scored 57 in the powerplay. Shafali was the aggressor, playing some powerful strokes and hitting five fours and two sixes inside the first six overs.
It set the tone for the chase. Lanning then hit some well-placed fours as DC reached 82/0 at the halfway mark.
The UPW fielders didn't help the team's cause as they dropped both Lanning (on 11) and Shafali (on 48) and missed a stumping of Shafali (on 48) as well.
Shafali brought up her fifty off just 36 balls and the 100-run stand with a majestic six off Deepti Sharma.
Lanning, too, brought up her fifty off 42 balls before departing with just one run needed to win. Jemimah Rodrigues arrived and swept the first ball for four to hit the winning runs as DC bounced back hard from the loss in the opener and registered a comprehensive win.
Earlier, Delhi Capitals captain Meg Lanning won the toss and elected to field.
All-rounder Marizanne Kapp went berserk early, picking up three wickets inside the Powerplay. She built pressure with some beautiful swing bowling as she gave away just one run in the first over and then bowled a wicket maiden, dismissing Vrinda Dinesh. Continuing to make inroads, she cleaned up McGrath with a lovely outswinger and had Healy caught at mid off in the same over, to jolt UP Warriorz.
UPW could manage just two boundaries in the Powerplay as they trudged to 21/3.
The DC bowlers kept the pressure on with discipline and accuracy and were rewarded with the big wicket of Grace Harris as she miscued her swing to short third man, trying to clear the fence off Radha Yadav as UPW were left reeling at 40/4 at the halfway mark.
Kiran Navgire released some pressure with a huge six off Yadav, but the DC spinner bounced back in style to have Navgire caught and bowled off the next ball as UPW lost half their side in 12 overs.
Shweta Sehrawat then brought some relief as she hit three fours off Pandey. The youngster resurrected the innings amidst the regular fall of wickets with a fine knock of 45 off 42 balls and helped UPW post 119/9.