It felt like deja vu for Delhi Capitals. On January 11, Sophie Devine defended six in the final over to help Gujarat Giants secure their second win. Sixteen days later, she was once again tasked with defending a small total – eight runs – in the final over in DC’s chase of 175, after conceding 23 in her previous. Devine delivered once again, removing Niki Prasad and Sneh Rana, to give GG a three-run win. It took them to second place on the points table and a big step towards the knockouts.

Before that dramatic finish, DC had looked dangerous, thanks to late cameos from Prasad and Rana. From 100 for 6, the duo put on a 70 off just 31 balls to almost pull off a miracle.

Anushka Sharma walked in at 1 for 19 after Devine fell to Marizanne Kapp in the third over and, in a brief but decisive stay, wrested momentum from DC. Nervy at first, she soon settled, trusting her bottom hand and playing the ball rather than the bowler. A backfoot punch past mid-off off Nandani Sharma brought her first boundary, followed by a wristy clip through midwicket that underlined her control.

Kapp, with the best powerplay economy in this WPL at under five, bore the brunt in the fifth over as Anushka opened her shoulders for three fours, driving and whipping through square leg with minimal fuss. She struck eight fours in all and looked set for a big score, but after being dropped by Chinelle Henry at mid-off off Shree Charani, she attempted a slog sweep the next ball and was caught by Minnu Mani at deep midwicket for 39, leaving GG 73 for 2 in the ninth over.

Mooney held the innings with a composed knock. She was 16 off 18 balls when Anushka departed and had managed just one boundary until then. At the halfway stage, GG were 80 for 2. Jemimah Rodrigues’  decision to bowl out Kapp in the 11th over, however, worked in Mooney’s favour as she smashed three fours off her. Having found her rhythm, Mooney hit two more boundaries to backward point to bring up her first fifty of this WPL, off 40 balls. Mooney’s stay was cut short in the 17th over by Nandani’s slower ball.

The innings then unravelled, with GG losing wickets in a cluster between the 15th and 18th overs, including Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kanika Ahuja, and Kashvee Gautam, as Charani struck twice in an over.

Just as DC seemed to pull the game back, Tanuja Kanwar – who had missed the previous game – lifted GG to a competitive 174 with an 11-ball 21. She capped it 15 runs off Henry in the final over, smoking a six over the bowler’s head after hitting two fours. Charani finished as DC’s best bowler, returning figures of 4 for 31.

DC made a brisk start to the chase, reaching 41 for 1 at the end of five overs. But Devine removed Lizelle Lee off the final ball of the powerplay with a slower delivery. From the seventh over onwards, Kanwar and Ash Gardner bowled tight lines to Laura Wolvaardt and Rodrigues, conceding just 15 runs across three overs.

Although Georgia Wareham was taken for 12 in the tenth, it prompted the captain to bring Devine back – and she struck immediately, rattling Rodrigues’ stumps as the batter attempted a scoop. Two balls later, Gardner removed Kapp, and by the end of 12 overs, DC’s required run rate had climbed to 11.37. Wolvaardt soon fell to Gayakwad, leaving DC 85 for 5, and it became 100 for 6 with 75 needed from 33 balls.

But Devine struck in the final over, removing Rana and Prasad. Despite a tense two-run attempt and frantic running between the wickets, Devine’s slower deliveries and smart field placements saw both batters caught in the deep, allowing GG to hold on for a dramatic win.

Brief scores:
Gujarat Giants Women 174 for 9 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 58, Sophie Devine 13, Anushka Sharma 39, Georgia Wareham 11,Tanuja Kanwar 21; Marizanne Kapp 1-34, Chinell Henry 2-38, Nandani Sharma 1-26, Shree  Charani 4-31, Minnu Mani 1-23) beat Delhi Capitals Women 171 for 8 (Shafali Verma 14, Lizelle Lee 11, Laura Wolvaardt 24, Jemimah Rodrigues 16, Niki Prasad 47, Sneh Rana 29; Sophie Devine 4-37, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 3-20,Ashleigh Gardner 1-37) by three runs

[Cricinfo]