NAVI MUMBAI: Never change a winning combination, they say. Never drop a player match-winner too.
In a stunning move, the UP Warriorz dropped a bombshell even before a ball had been bowled when they announced that they had axed Australia's champion batter Grace Harris. Grace had, just a couple of nights ago, blasted a magnificent 59 not out off 26 balls to pull off an improbable win for them against Gujarat Giants.
Aiming to strengthen their bowling, the Warriorz picked the experienced, pacy Shabnim Ismail instead. While Ismail was reasonably economical, returning 1-29 in 4 overs, the Warriorz missed Grace's firepower at No. 6, losing by 42 runs.
Carrying on from her 43-ball 72 against RCB a couple of days back, Meg Lanning again led the Capitals from the front, cracking a superb 70 (42b, 10x4, 3x6).
While the Australian captain, who currently holds the 'Orange Cap', was brilliant in the first half of the innings, it was a magnificent, unbeaten fifth wicket 67-run stand in just 34 balls between the classy Jemimah Rodrigues (34 not out, 22b, 4x4) and Jess Jonassen (42 not out, 20b, 3x4, 3x6) that ultimately helped DC log 211-4-their second 200-plus score on the trot.
Though Tahlia McGrath tried hard (90 not out; 50b, 10x4, 4x6), making the top score for far in the WPL, all the Warriorz managed was 169/5 in 20 overs. To round off a great game for her, Jonassen struck twice in the Powerplay overs, removing Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy and Kiran Navigire in the 4th over to reduce them to 31/3.
After an enthusiastic Holi celebration, it was the perfect outing that DC needed to celebrate the festival.
A 20-minute rain-break, when they were flying away at 87/1 in 9 overs threatened to break DC's rhythm for a while, as they lost Lanning, Marizanne Kapp and Alice Capsey.
But Rodrigues and Jonassen unleashed a flurry of boundaries to ensure DC finished with a flourish, as they plundered 65 in the final five overs.
