WPL: Delhi Capitals beat UP Warriorz by 5 wickets, qualify directly for final

Delhi Capitals thrashed UP Warriorz by five wickets to directly qualify for the final of the Women's Premier League

Mumbai: Alice Capsey produced a fabulous all-round display, snaring three wickets and smashing a 31-ball 34 as Delhi Capitals thrashed UP Warriorz by five wickets to directly qualify for the final of the Women’s Premier League here on Tuesday.

Chasing 139-run target, built around Tahila McGrath’s 32-ball unbeaten 58, DC romped home scoring 142 for five in 17.5 overs to finish at the top of the table, toppling Mumbai Indians on the basis of better net run rate. With Delhi grabbing a direct spot in the final, Mumbai Indians and UP Warriorz will now face off in the eliminator for the other final spot.

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MI had defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets earlier in the day, leaving DC with the task of not only winning against UPW but also maintaining a better run-rate to directly book their final spot. Meg Lanning and Co did just that as they restricted UPW to a modest 138 for six after winning the toss and opting to bowl.

Chasing, the opening pair of Lanning and Shafali Verma then went on a boundary hitting spree as they knocked off 56 runs off 29 balls. If Lanning set the ball rolling with three fours and a six in a 20-run first over off Shabnim Ismail, Shafali had four hits to the fence in her 16-ball 21-run cameo.

Once Shafali was holed out to Soppadhandi Yashasri off Sophie Ecclestone’s bowling, Ismail returned to trap Jemimah Rodrigues and then removed Lanning, who was caught by Simran Shaikh in the deep, as suddenly DC slumped to 70 for three. UPW tried to tighten the screws but Capsey produced three boundaries in four balls off Ecclestone to keep DC in the hunt.

Earlier, McGrath blasted eight boundaries and two sixes after skipper Alyssa Healy (36 off 34) provided the platform to push UP Warriorz’s total closer to the 140-mark. Capsey scalped three quick wickets conceding just seven runs in her first three overs but McGrath changed her bowling figures with a 19-run blitz in the final over. For DC, Radha Yadav (2/28) and Jess Jonassen (1/24) were the other wicket takers.

Brief Scores: UP Warriorz 138/6 in 20 overs (Tahila McGrath 58 no, Alyssa Healy 36; Alice Capsey 3/26) lost to Delhi Capitals 142/5 in 17.5 overs (Meg Lanning 39; Shabnim Ismail 2/29).