NL Corresspondent
Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their disastrous start to the inaugural Women’s Premier League season as they fell to their fifth straight loss. Smriti Mandhana-led RCB remained winless as the Meg Lanning’s side handed them a six-wicket defeat.
Ellyse Perry (67 not out) and Richa Ghosh (37) lifted Royal Challengers Bangalore to a competitive 150/4 against Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League in Navi Mumbai on Monday.
While Perry held the RCB together with a resolute knock in an innings wherein runs did not come easy, Ghosh provided late fireworks to help her side set a target that might prove tricky to chase.
Perry, who was given a lifeline by Shikha Pandey in the 15th over when she was on 29, finished at 67 not out from 52 balls with four fours and five sixes, recording her second fifty on the trot.
Ghosh struck a valuable 37 from 16 balls with three fours and as many sixes to register her highest score in the competition.
The two right-handed batters Perry and Ghosh added crucial punch with a 74-run stand for the fourth wicket from just 34 balls, after Delhi Capitals bowlers had kept a tight leash for most of the first half. The RCB batters found it tough to get runs for the majority of their innings, with plenty of their strokes finding fielders and Delhi Capitals bowlers also maintaining probing line and lengths.
By the end of the 14th over, RCB had managed a mere 68 for three. However, in the last six overs, they added 82 runs to finish on a high, raising hopes of their maiden win in WPL.
The change of venue — RCB had played and lost all four matches so far at the Brabourne Stadium – did not seem to have worked well for the Smriti Mandhana-led side for the majority of the first half.
