Mumbai: Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur saved her best for the big day with a scintillating 44-ball 66 but Delhi Capitals did well enough to restrict Mumbai Indians to a fighting 149 for 7 in the final of the Women’s Premier League here Saturday.
Marizanne Kapp (2/11 in 4 overs) was the pick of the DC bowlers while left-arm spinners Shree Charani (2/43 in 4 overs) and Jess Jonassen (2/26 in 3 overs) also got crucial wickets.
Put in to bat, MI started on a sedate note, courtesy a fine Powerplay spell by Kapp as the home side were just 22 for 2 after seven overs.
But, Harmanpreet effortlessly shifted gears from the onset, starting with a short-arm swat pull off Annabel Sutherland and then three fours off left-arm spinner Jonassen.
Cut above the rest of Indian women cricketers in terms of sheer quality, the manner in which the Indian skipper pierced the off-side field was a sight to behold.
She took on the opposition’s most successful bowler of the tournament, Jonassen, who had to be taken off the attack by DC skipper Meg Lanning, and the bowling changes suddenly didn’t work.
At the other end, tournament’s highest run-getter Nat Sciver-Brunt (30 off 28 balls) completed her personal tally of 500 runs in this edition but for a change, played second fiddle, allowing Harmanpreet to enthrall the near-capacity Brabourne Stadium crowd that cheered her every stroke.
The duo added 89 in little over 10 overs but just when it looked that MI are setting themselves up for a big total, left-arm spinner Charani got Sciver-Brunt caught at square leg while trying to slog sweep.
From a safe 103 for 3, it became 118 for 6 in no time as Jonassen’s twin blows in the 16th over increased pressure on Harmanpreet.
First it was Amelia Kerr, who had a torrid run with the bat, caught in the deep and then Sajeevan Sajana’s attempted slog sweep went haywire as she was trapped leg-before.
Finally, it was Sutherland, who got the MI skipper, who went for one shot too many. MI ended at least 15 short of par score.
PTI
