WPL: Gujarat Giants escape to victory as Capitals collapse

MUMBAI: When Alice Capsey hit two sixes off Ashleigh Gardner at the end of the fifth over, it looked like Delhi Capitals would easily seal their playoff spot in this game. But against the run of play, they lost three wickets in 11 balls to lose their way as Gujarat Giants tightened their grip on the match, never relinquished it and recorded an 11-run win to keep their hopes alive in the WPL.

Giants' second win of the competition moves them to four points and keeps alive their hopes of at least making it to the eliminator, to be played between teams placed second and third.


On Saturday, they face Royal Challengers Bangalore, who recorded their first win of the tournament on Wednesday.


Chasing 148, Capitals were nicely placed at 48/1 before the wheels came off. Their slide started with a double blow in the sixth over which saw skipper Meg Lanning(18; 15b, 3x4) caught leg-before by her Giants' counterpart Sneh Rana (1/27) and three balls later Capsey (22; 11b; 2x4 2x6) was run-out to a good glovework by Sushma Verma.

In the next over, Jemimah Rodrigues (1) was back in the pavilion as she tried to steer one fine off Kim Garth (2/18) but could only find Verma's gloves.


Capitals kept losing wickets and at 100/8 it looked like the Giants had sealed victory. For a short time, Arundhati Reddy (25; 17b, 4x4) gave them hope but she couldn't take them over the line.

Earlier, half-centuries from Laura Wolvaardt and Ashleigh Gardner saw Giants post 147/4. Wolvaardt scored a 45-ball 57 with the help of six fours and one six while Player of the Match Gardner's 51-run knock came in 33 balls (SR 154. 54; 9x4). Their third-wicket association of 81 from 53 balls helped Giants score 93 runs off the last 10 overs.