WPL: Lizelle Lee stars in DC's thrilling seven-wicket win over UPW

Lizelle Lee (PTI Photo)

NAVI MUMBAI: Playing in her maiden Women’s Premier League season, South African ‘keeper-bat Lizelle Lee smashed her second half-century (67, 44b, 8x4, 3x6) on the trot to star in Delhi Capitals’ nerve-jangling seven-wicket win over UP Warriorz at the DY Patil Stadium on Wednesday night. The game went right down the wire as UPW fought back late, leaving DC with six to get in the final over, bowled by Sophie Ecclestone. South African captain Laura Wolvaardt (25 not out, 24b, 2x4, 1x6) stroked a four to cover off the second ball to bring it down to just two off four balls, but Ecclestone bounced back brilliantly to take it to the last ball, with DC needing one.

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Wolvaardt then smashed the ball through the cover region for a four to seal DC’s maiden victory in WPL-2026, and also the first under their new captain Jemimah Rodrigues (21, 14b, 3x4). Unfortunately, it came in front of empty stands as no crowds were allowed due to local municipal elections on Thursday. Coming off a 54-ball 86-run knock in her previous outing against Gujarat Giants, the 33-year-old Lee, who plays in Women’s T20 leagues around the world and has scored 1896 runs in 82 T20Is for South Africa, flourished again. It was the so far winless UP Warriorz’ third straight defeat, certainly a bad start for their new head coach Abhishek Nayar. Chasing 155, DC were provided an ideal 94-run start in 69 balls by Lee and India opener Shafali Varma (36, 32b, 6x4). For some reason, UPW hardly gave a chance to India’s ace off-spinning allrounder Deepti Sharma to do anything in the match-she scored two after coming to bat at No 9 in the final over, and came on to bowl as late as the 15th over. Suffering a stunning collapse, the Warriorz lost six wickets for 20 runs in 26 balls after skipper Meg Lanning, playing against her former team, scored a half-century (54, 38b, 9x4, 1x6). However, the biggest talking point of UPW’s innings, which finished at 154 for eight in 20 overs, was their debatable decision to retire out his India batter Harleen Deol when she was batting on 47 (36b, 7x4). Looking shocked after being asked to leave the crease by Nayar, Harleen became just the second player in WPL to be retired out -with both the decisions coming in two consecutive days-after Gujarat Giants retired out debutant Ayushi Soni (11, 144b) against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday night. However, while GG’s decision proved to be bang on, with incoming batter Bharti Fulmali smashing 36 not out off 15 balls, UPW’s move, taken to ensure a good finish to the innings after 17 overs, didn’t work out well, as next batter South Africa allrounder Chloe Tryon (1), playing her first match after sitting in the MI dugout for three years, and replacing Deandra Dottin in this game, was caught at deep mid-wicket after just balls, off Shree Charani, triggering a slide. The decision to retire her three short of a fifty is surely going to hurt Harleen’s confidence, as she is an experienced player and was a part of India’s World Cup winning team last year, unlike Ayushi, who is a rookie. After Sophie Ecclestone (3) and ‘keeper-bat Shweta Sehrawat (11) were gone, India’s ace allrounder walked in at Deepti Sharma at No 9-another highly questionable call. Deepti perished for just two, as part-time off-spinner Shafali Verma took two wickets in the final over of the innings, finishing with 2-16 in four overs to show her worth as a bowler. From 141-3 in 17 overs, UPW sank to 152 for eight in the final over. Earlier, after Rodrigues won the toss and chose to bowl first again for the third straight time, big-hitting opener Kiran Navgire’s woeful tournament-she was out for 1 & 5 in the previous matches-continued as the Maharashtra batter was caught at mid-off off SA speedster Marizanne Kapp, who finished with 2-24 in four overs. Lanning, who scored her 10th WPL half-century, put on a 35-ball 47-run partnership for the second wicket with Phoebe Litchfield (27, 20b, 5x4) and then 85 in 56 balls for the third wicket with Harleen.

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