Lucknow, With two consecutive wins firming up their bid for a spot in the Women’s Premier League playoffs, Gujarat Giants will look to carry forward the momentum in their top-of-the-table clash against Delhi Capitals here on Friday.
Gujarat Giants were languishing at the bottom of the WPL points table but two big wins — by six wickets over Royal Challengers Bengaluru and by 81 runs against UP Warriorz — have propelled them to the second position in the five-team points table.
On Friday, the second-ranked Giants, with six points in as many games, will have the perfect opportunity to put their recent ascent to test against a formidable Delhi Capitals, who sit atop the table with 10 points.
Delhi Capitals, who have already booked a place in the playoffs, would be keen to record a win and take their tally to 12 points and, in the process, also better their net run rate to seal their spot in the final.
It seems like things are falling in place at last for the Giants, who showed determination against all odds to beat RCB in a low-scoring thriller, with skipper Ashleigh Gardner and Phoebe Litchfield taking the side over the line.
The Giants then demolished UP Warriorz by 81 runs in their previous outing, riding on Beth Mooney’s stunning 96 not out and a collective show from their bowlers to restricted the opponents to a mere 105 in pursuit of 187.
The huge win not only lifted the Giants from the last spot but also improved their NRR to 0.357 from -0.450, better than the third-placed Mumbai Indians with whom they are tied on six points.
Additionally, with MI having three more games left, the Giants will be keen to keep their fate in their hands and not depend on the outcomes of other games.
Giants’ pacers, in particular, exploited the new ball and conditions to good effect, blowing away UP Warriorz’s batting after Mooney missed recording the first-ever ton by any player in this WPL.
Their recent performances would surely fuel their fire but the Giants will have to be wary of the all-round strength of the Delhi Capitals, who too would be keen for a win, for it would help them finish at the top and qualify directly for the final.
Currently, Delhi Capitals hold the top spot with 10 points from seven matches. They are in pole position to finish first, which would ensure direct entry into the title round.
The teams finishing second and third will face off in the Eliminator next week.
Meg Lanning has blown hot and cold this season but still remains dangerous, while India batter Shafali Verma has lit up the tournament with her aggressive stroke-play. Jess Jonassen has made all-round contributions for Delhi with 128 runs and joint second-highest nine wickets.
DC’s new-ball pair of Marizanne Kapp and Shikha Pandey poses a threat to the Giants’ batters, who would look to build their innings around an in-form Mooney and India’s Harleen Deol.
Teams :
Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning , Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Sneha Deepthi, Alice Capsey, Annabel Sutherland, Arundhati Reddy, Jess Jonassen, Marizanne Kapp, Minnu Mani, Nallapureddy Shree Charani, Niki Prasad, Radha Yadav, Shikha Pandey, Nandini Kashyap , Sarah Bryce , Taniyaa Bhatia , Titas Sadhu.
Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner , Beth Mooney , Bharti Fulmali, Laura Wolvaardt, Phoebe Litchfield, Simran Shaikh, Danielle Gibson, Dayalan Hemalatha, Deandra Dottin, Harleen Deol, Sayali Satghare, Tanuja Kanwer, Kashvee Gautam, Mannat Kashyap, Meghna Singh, Prakashika Naik, Priya Mishra, Shabnam Shakil.
Match starts at 7:30PM IST.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
