WPL 2024 finals face-off between RCB and DC :
BANGALORE BOOK THEIR SPOT IN THE FINALS! Bangalore secured a remarkable victory against the defending champions to advance to their first-ever Women’s T20 League final. Despite a rocky start, Bangalore managed to post a total of 135 runs, well below the usual first-inning average of 181.
In pursuit of early breakthroughs to exert pressure on Mumbai, Shreyanka Patil struck in the fourth over, but Bangalore struggled to capitalize on that momentum. Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham tightened the screws in the middle overs, but Bangalore needed a flurry of wickets to gain control. Although they didn’t quite get what they hoped for, Bangalore displayed resilience.
Shreyanka Patil reignited their fight with a crucial wicket in the 18th over, and Bangalore seized the opportunity. Heading into the final two overs with Mumbai needing 16 runs, Sophie Molineux’s exceptional penultimate over yielded just 4 runs, setting the stage for Asha Shobana. With 12 runs to defend in the final over, Shobana held her nerve, ensuring Bangalore emerged victorious.
As for Mumbai, they’ll be deeply disappointed by this defeat and will rue their missed opportunity to seal the victory, especially considering they had the chase well within their grasp for the most part. With 20 runs needed off 18 balls and 7 wickets in hand, you’d typically expect the batting team to close it out.
Harmanpreet Kaur’s dismissal proved to be the pivotal moment. In high-pressure encounters like this, it ultimately boils down to who handles the pressure better, and Mumbai faltered in that aspect. In pursuit of the target of 136 runs, Mumbai had a solid start thanks to their openers Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia.
However, like the openers, Natalie Sciver and Katherine Brunt couldn’t capitalize on their starts. Harmanpreet Kaur and Amelia Kerr then steadied the ship, playing sensibly to keep the required run rate in check. But just when it seemed they were in control, Kaur’s departure changed the game’s dynamics, and neither the incoming batsmen nor the set batter Kerr could finish the job.
In the earlier stages of the match, after Smriti Mandhana won the toss, she followed the prevailing trend of choosing to bat first in Delhi. Setting a target in a knockout game is always advantageous, but Bangalore didn’t get off to the start they had hoped for.
Sophie Devine returned to the opening slot alongside Smriti Mandhana. Despite a promising 14-run first over, Bangalore quickly found themselves in trouble, losing both openers and Disha Kasat within the Powerplay.
Richa Ghosh struggled to find her rhythm and eventually fell victim to the mounting dot ball pressure. The responsibility then fell on Ellyse Perry to rescue Bangalore from the slump, and she delivered for her team. Perry initially took her time before accelerating when necessary, reaching her second fifty of the season. Georgia Wareham also contributed with crucial runs towards the end, helping Bangalore post a total of 135 runs.
Hayley Matthews and Natalie Sciver-Brunt were the standout performers with the ball for Mumbai, both claiming two wickets each with identical figures of 4-0-18-2, while Saika Ishaque also picked up two wickets, albeit at a slightly higher economy rate.
Despite being so close to the victory Mumbai just fell a few steps short to make it to their second final in back to back seasons. However, its a redemption for RCB after their horrible run in the last season but will they prevail the challenge of the mighty Delhi Capitals in the finals ? We have to wait till the finals on Sunday.
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