DC vs GG, WPL 2023: 3 moments that generated buzz among fans in Match 14

Delhi Capitals (DC) were handed their second defeat in the Women's Premier League (WPL) on Thursday, losing to the Gujarat Giants (GG) by 11 runs at the Brabourne Stadium.

DC won the toss and elected to bowl first. They were off to the perfect start as Marizanne Kapp dismissed Sophia Dunkley in the first over of the match.

But GG then focused on building a platform, aided by a strong partnership between Harleen Deol and Laura Wolvaardt.

Jess Jonassen brought about the breakthrough by dismissing Harleen Deol after a rather controversial DRS call. Wolvaardt scored a sublime fifty while Ashleigh Gardner's handy cameo helped GG post 147-4 in the first innings.

DC quickly lost both their openers, something they did not do in the reverse fixture, and were reeling at 52-4 after seven overs. Marizanne Kapp played a handy knock to keep them alive in the run chase, but an untimely run-out ended her stay at the crease.

DC then had a 35-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Arundathi Reddy and Shikha Pandey. But GG sealed the contest in the end, claiming the remaining two wickets in quick succession to secure their second win in the WPL.

On that note, here's a look at three moments from the match that created quite a buzz among fans.

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#1 DC's smart review to dismiss well-settled Harleen Deol

After winning the toss, DC had control with the ball right from the word go. However, Harleen Deol and Laura Wolvaardt made a strong attempt to set up a platform and stave off the bowlers.

The bowling side were looking for a wicket despite having kept the scoring rate in check. They needed a moment to catalyze their innings, and it came in the form of Harleen's dismissal.

Jess Jonassen appealed for a caught behind which was denied by the on-field umpire. Following a brief consultation, DC opted to go upstairs and review the decision.

Ultra Edge showed a clear spike, but there was a small gap between the bat and ball. Remarkably, the spike persisted even after the ball left the bat.

Harleen stood with a confused expression after the decision was overturned. She had to depart for a patient 30, which took her to the fourth position on the WPL 2023 Orange Cap list.

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#2 Shafali Verma's freak dimissal

The start of the second innings was chaotic, to say the least. After Meg Lanning survived a close lbw call, Shafali Verma got off the mark with a monstrous six. However, she was dismissed in the most bizarre manner possible.

Shafali Verma shifted away from the leg stump towards the leg side to make some room, but the left-arm spinner Tanuja Kanwar followed her. The young opener tried to slog it away through her right, but the ball struck her boot squarely before getting deflected onto the stumps. It was a truly unfortunate dismissal.

Shafali's lean patch after a promising start to the WPL continued, as she was dismissed for just eight runs off seven deliveries.

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#3 Direct hit to dismiss Marizanne Kapp

Run-outs played a huge part in DC's downfall during the run chase. Their innings was derailed after Alica Capsey, who was scoring freely, was caught short of the crease following a mix-up with Jemimah Rodrigues.

However, they were still in the run chase as long as the experienced and in-form Marizanne Kapp was at the crease. She looked well settled and seemed to be plotting the chase well before it was brought to an end by a brilliant direct hit.

In their previous encounter against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the WPL, a dive saved Kapp from a similar situation. But this time around, a full-fledged stretch with the bat and a direct hit by Ashwini Kumari brought her downfall.

Kapp was dismissed after scoring 36 off 29 deliveries. DC's hopes of qualifying for the WPL playoffs with two league games to spare more or less ended right there.

Will GG be able to spur on a late comeback to qualify for the WPL 2023 playoffs? Let us know what you think.

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