WPL 2024: All-round Deepti Sharma stars in UP Warriorz’ thrilling one-run win over Delhi Capitals (ld)

New Delhi, March 8 (IANS) Deepti Sharma became the first India player to take a hat-trick in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) as her spell of 4-19 ensured UP Warriorz managed to defend the lowest total in the tournament so far and beat Delhi Capitals by just one run at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Friday.

Deepti had top-scored for the Warriorz in their score of 138/8 with 59 off 48 balls and with Delhi needing 15 runs off 12 balls to win, she took wickets on the first two balls of the 19th over, after a scalp on the last ball of the 14th over, to complete a hat-trick. Overall, she took three wickets in the 19th over to push the hosts on the backfoot on a sluggish pitch.

Grace Harris kept her calm in the final over as she took two wickets, apart from a run-out, with Delhi bowled out for 137. Though they are the table-toppers, they would be left wondering how they botched up a straightforward chase, despite a fine 60 by captain Meg Lanning.

Chasing a below-par 139, Delhi were dealt an early blow when Shafali Verma’s off-stump was rattled by Saima Thakor. Meg treated the decent Delhi crowd for some excellently timed and placed boundaries on both sides of the wicket, with her fours piercing square of the wicket in the off-side against Saima being a visual delight.

Meg continued her good run post-powerplay, fiercely pulling off Gouher Sultana, Deepti and Rajeshwari Gayakwad to pick boundaries effortlessly while scything with surgical precision the gap at cover point to take another four.

Alice Capsey struggled to get going despite a cheeky scoop over the keeper’s head for four and lofting a six over deep mid-wicket -– and finally holed out in the deep for a 23-ball 15 off Sophie Ecclestone.

Meg, though, marched forward and continued to dazzle by punching and slicing off Rajeshwari and Deepti, before slapping one through cover and pulling twice off Gouher to get her fifty in 38 balls. Her fine knock ended at 60 off 46 balls when she was trapped lbw in front of the middle stump by Deepti.

Jemimah Rodrigues wowed the Delhi crowd by walking down the pitch and smacking Tahlia with a straight bat for a 76-m six over long-on but holed out to long-off on the first ball of the 18th over against Saima.

Jess Jonassen diffused the pressure by smacking Saima over deep mid-wicket for six and followed it up with a straight drive past the fast bowler for four. But Deepti produced a twist by castling Annabel Sutherland and having Arundhati Reddy holing out to wide long-on on consecutive deliveries, to become the second bowler in the WPL to claim a hat-trick.

Shikha Pandey smacked a four over Deepti’s head but chipped the next ball back to the bowler. With ten runs needed in the final over, Radha smacked Grace Harris high over the cow corner fence, where Poonam Khemnar couldn’t take the catch and the ball hit the boundary cushion for six.

Another twist came when Radha chopped onto her stumps and Jess was run out in pursuit of a tight single on consecutive deliveries. With two runs needed, Titas Sadhu chipped straight to mid-on, as Warriorz’ snatched an unlikely win to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage.

Earlier, apart from Deepti recording back-to-back fifties and Alyssa Healy’s power-play fireworks, there was nothing of note from the Warriorz’ batting innings. Delhi’s bowlers gave little freebies, bowled well to their fields and used the centre-wicket dimensions well to dry up the runs and deliver blows to the Warriorz.

Apart from Annabel, all Delhi bowlers were amongst the wickets, as only three batters from the Warriorz got into double figures. Delhi had a good start as Titas got an inswinger to sneak in late and castle Kiran Navgire through the gate in the second over.

Alyssa Healy was pristine in hitting four boundaries aerially, while Deepti, promoted to number three, got boundaries via an edge and an authoritative smash over mid-on. Alyssa brought up fifty for the Warriorz by dancing down the pitch to delightfully loft Radha inside-out over extra-cover for four.

But in the next over, Alyssa stepped out but was nowhere close to the pitch of the ball and holed out to long-on off Alice, ending her 46-run stand for the second wicket with Deepti. Warriorz were plunged into more trouble when Arundhati Reddy got one to seam back in sharply and beat the inside edge of Tahlia’s bat to rattle the off-stump.

Deepti continued to get boundaries by swatting, pulling, sweeping and scooping but was steadily running out of partners from the other end. Grace was undone by the slowness and wide ball from Radha to give a simple catch to point.

Shweta Sehrawat was beaten for pace in a bid to drive off Titas and saw her leg-stump being rattled. Poonam looked to flick off Radha, but gave a low return catch to the left-arm spinner, while Sophie was stumped easily off Jess.

Deepti got her fifty in 45 balls with a brace to long-on in the final over. She then pulled Shikha Pandey over fine leg for six, before the fast bowler had the last laugh on the very next ball as Deepti holed out to long-on. Later, she played a decisive role with the ball to get the game in Warriorz’ favour.

Brief scores:

UP Warriorz 138/8 in 20 overs (Deepti Sharma 59, Alyssa Healy 29; Radha Yadav 2-16, Titas Sadhu 2-23) beat Delhi Capitals 137 all out in 19.5 overs (Meg Lanning 60; Deepti Sharma 4-19) by 1 run.

–IANS

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