Aussie WPL takeover complete as spin star's brutal spell, Perry ...
Aggressive knocks from Ellyse Perry and Sophie Devine buoyed Royal Challengers Bangalore at the right moment to seal an eight-wicket Women’s Premier League final win Sunday after a Delhi Capitals batting collapse.
Bangalore triumphed 115-2 with three balls to spare in their chase of 113 all out, with Delhi surrendering the fight at their home ground after their 64-run opening partnership was broken.
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Australia’s Perry topscored for Bangalore with 35 not out surpassing New Zealander Devine, whose 32 included five fours and a six in the 27 balls she faced.
Four of those boundaries came in the seventh over off Radha Yadav, closing a 36-run gap from the same point in Delhi’s innings.
“We did the job,” Devine said.
“We had all the parts last season as well, it was just about putting them together.”
Devine departed in the ninth after an unsuccessful review of her lbw trapping by Shikha Pandey, with captain and fellow opener Smriti Mandhana anchoring the innings before she was sent back after a catch off Minnu Mani for 31.
Delhi skipper Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma made a barnstorming start after opting to bat with eight boundaries between them in seven overs.
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But slow bowler Sophie Molineux brought the home side’s innings to a screeching halt with three dismissals off four balls in the eighth over.
The Australian forced Verma to misjudge a sweep and drive a catch to mid-wicket then bowled both Jemimah Rodrigues and Alice Capsey off consecutive deliveries.
A deflated Delhi conceded their remaining seven wickets for just 49.
“It all happened relatively quickly, as it tends to do,” Lanning said of the collapse.
“Crazy things happen, and every game has been pretty close,” she added.
“They deserved the win.”
Along with steering Bangalore to victory, Perry picked up the Orange Cap, an award handed out for the most runs of the season while Shreyanka Patil was awarded the Purple Cap for most wickets in the season.
Bangalore were unexpected finalists for the WPL’s second edition after a narrow five-run win in Friday’s eliminator over Mumbai Indians, who beat Delhi in the inaugural season’s final.