RCB-W storm into WPL 2024 final after clinching thriller against MI

It was a dramatic turnaround in Delhi as RCB-W muscled their way into the finals despite being stuck in an almost ineluctable situation with three overs to go. Youth and experience came together in carving what would go down as a thrilling victory in one of the biggest stages of all.

Winning the toss, Smriti Mandhana opted to bat first. Shuffling the batting order again, Sophie Devine was reallotted her opening position while captain Smriti accompanied her. However, the start of the innings didn’t really go as planned for RCB as they lost both their openers in quick succession.

Things aggravated for RCB when they lost Disha Kasat early too as she was removed for a duck. With Ellyse Perry at the other end, the women in Red and Gold needed a solid stand and it came through Richa Ghosh once again. Not one of those explosive knocks as you would like to see but Ghosh anchored the other end as Perry went on about her business.

A 26-runs stand between the two was eventually broken when Hayley Matthews got the better of Richa for 14. In another one of those warring stands, Sophie Molineux joined Pez and the duo added 35 runs for the fifth wicket. Molineux didn’t have much of a say in the pair, falling for just 11.

It was Georgia Wareham who realized the need of the situation and shifted gears with her Australian teammate, Ellyse Perry who continued to be in dream touch, snaffling the Orange Cap for herself by the end of the RCB innings. Perry got out for a 50-ball-66 while Wareham powered to an unbeaten 11-ball-18 to pile up 135 on the board for the Royal Challengers.

The numbers didn’t really look promising for RCB at first with a volley of power-hitters to follow suit in the Mumbai threads. However, the RCB bowlers were in no mood to relinquish the chance to make their maiden appearance in the grand finale as they fought on.

Renuka Singh started things on a miserly note while she was aptly supported by Shreyanka Patil. With a modest start in the powerplay, Hayley Matthews (15) wanted to bring the cannons out, hoping to acquire control of the game early on. A loopy delivery in the channel was attacked by Matthews in a bid to clear the longest fence but all she could manage was to find a perfectly-stationed Wolfie who made no mistake in grabbing the opportunity as Patil claimed her first of the day.

A returning Yastika Bhatia (19) looked solid for her stay in the center but it was Pez who left her bamboozled with hard length angling back into the middle and leg and the former’s hard swing could only connect with some air on the way and her leg pole was shattered.

Georgia Wareham dealt the next blow as she barreled through the gates of the experienced Nat Sciver-Brunt, leaving Mumbai jeopardized for the first time in the game as they wobbled at 68/3. Things could have been much worse had it not been for the lucky escape of Kaur who found herself dashing at the crease with the odds stacked incredibly against her.

From losing Sciver-Brunt, MI re-established control as their captain led the charge. Pairing perfectly alongside Amelia Kerr (27*), Kaur motored along for her well-orchestrated 33. 

In the 18th over, Kaur had another lifeline when Shreyanka ballooned one up outside the off-stump and Harmanpreet was caught off-guard almost halfway down the track. Much to RCB’s woes, Richa Ghosh couldn’t gather it clean, accentuating the doomed situation for Mandhana and company.

Despite being lucky earlier, Patil’s audacity of testing the temperament of Kaur worked out wonders for RCB as another flighted delivery outside the off-stump was attacked by the former and with the bat turning in her hands upon contact, she knew that she had committed an almost unforgivable error. Devine grabbed the catch.

With 15 needed off 12, MI was still in the game in terms of numbers and a hard-hitting Sajeevan Sajana to step up to the task. But then she was up against one of the most experienced all-rounders in women’s cricket and Soph knew that another tempting flight just outside the channel should get the job done. Sajana bit at the bait, prancing down the track while Ghosh collected it and dislodged the bails, redeeming herself.

With 12 needed off six, Asha Sobhana was handed over the ball and she bowled an over that would possibly be screaming at the selectors that we have a new mystery in our fold. After keeping Pooja Vastrakar silent and Amelia Kerr away from strike for a majority of the over, Asha also went onto clinch the prized scalp of the former. 

With six needed to tie on the final ball, Kerr stepped out but the connection was from the toe end of her bat and even before she could realize what was the result of that shot, the RCB players were storming onto the field in sheer ecstasy and frenzy as they had secured the bragging rights and the ticket to the grand finale for the first time. Ellyse Perry bagged her second consecutive Player of the Match award for her scintillating all-round display.