Image Credit- BCCI
For Delhi Capitals,
everything was going according to plan. They were comfortably at 124 for 4 in
18 overs, needing 15 off 12, trailing 139 for victory. Meg Lanning had taken
the lead in the pursuit after hitting her third straight fifty. At the crease were
two seasoned internationals, Annabel Sutherland and Jess Jonassen. The Capitals
were aiming for a top-three finish.
Let me introduce you to Deepti Sharma.
The Capitals collapsed spectacularly, going from 124 for 4 to 137 all out in 12
balls, giving UP Warriorz an improbable one-run victory after trailing by only
one run.
Following their toss
victory, Warriorz decided to bat first since they had won all four of their
matches in the Delhi leg. But plans didn’t work out. Sadhu’s opening over saw
Kiran Navgire hit a streaking four off the first ball, but she was thoroughly outmatched
the next ball as she attempted an audacious hoick and had her stumps rattled.
For the first time in the WPL, Deepti batted at number three, and she was right
at ease. She and Alyssa Healy scored 46 runs apiece, giving the innings impetus
as the Warriorz finished the powerplay at 44 for 1. However, Alice Capsey fired
Healy and started the all too common middle-order collapse of Warriorz.
After scoring an
undefeated 53 off of 36 balls against the Mumbai Indians, Deepti entered the
match in superb form. She opened by deftly dabbing the keeper for four before
destroying Sadhu in mid-on. After that, Deepti did slow down a little bit, but
she was able to get her strike rate back on track with three fours in the next
six balls against Sutherland and Jonassen. In the last over, she reached her
second consecutive fifty-five runs off forty-five balls.
Following her
announcement of her retirement from international cricket, Lanning had stated
that she was now “just enjoying playing cricket” following her
game-winning fifty against Gujarat Giants earlier in the competition. She
continued in the same manner on Friday, hitting 60 off 46 balls and hitting 12
fours in her innings. The Warriorz bowlers were also rather lenient because
they frequently bowled short, and Lanning wasn’t about to take it lightly.
Deepti raised her hand when she realised that stopping the Washington Capitals
from winning another game would require extra work. Lanning took her for two
fours as she hit for twelve off her opening two overs. However, it was her
third over that restored Warriorz.
She got one ball to
spear in on Lanning’s middle stump after giving up just three runs in her
opening five deliveries. Lanning attempted the sweep but was caught directly in
front.
As Deepti entered the game to bowl the 19th over, the Capitals were still in
control of the outcome. Sutherland’s first delivery was caught by her with a
length ball that clanked into the middle stump. She moved more slowly at the
very next ball, and Reddy couldn’t help but cross the boundary. She couldn’t
make a clear connection, and Harris made an easy catch.
With that wicket,
Deepti claimed just the second hat-trick in WPL history. Pandey came in and
whacked Deepti over her head but the bowler kept her cool and took her down
next ball with a sharp caught-and-bowled, conceding only five off the
penultimate over. Having done her bit with the bat earlier, Deepti more than
did her bit with the ball finishing with excellent figures of 4 for 19.