Chinelle Henry’s effort not enough as UP Warriorz fall short against Delhi Capitals

West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry delivered an explosive unbeaten 33 and a tidy spell with the ball, but it wasn’t enough to prevent UP Warriorz from suffering their second straight defeat in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), as they went down by seven wickets to Delhi Capitals Women at Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara, on Wednesday.

Scores: Up Warriorz 166-7 (20 overs); Delhi Capitals 167-3 (19.5 overs)

After being sent in to bat, the Warriorz got off to a promising 66-run opening stand between Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh (15) before Australian all-rounder Annabel Sutherland struck twice in quick succession. Navgire’s aggressive 51 off 27 balls, which included four fours and three sixes, was the highlight of the top order, but a middle-order collapse saw the Warriorz stumble to 82-4.

Captain Deepti Sharma (7) and Tahlia McGrath (1) fell cheaply, but Grace Harris (12) and Shweta Sehrawat gradually rebuilt the innings with a 36-run partnership. However, Harris’ dismissal to Arundhati Reddy put the brakes on the innings once more.

Henry, though, injected much-needed momentum in the final overs, smashing three fours and three sixes in her 15-ball 33 as she combined with Sehrawat (37 off 33 balls) for a 44-run stand. The late surge helped Warriorz post a competitive 166-7, though they fell just short of the 170-run mark.

Sutherland was the standout bowler for the Delhi Capitals, finishing with 2-26, while Marizanne Kapp (1-30) and Reddy (1-26) provided solid support.

Annabel Sutherland (left) and Marizanne Kapp during their match-winning 48-run stand. (Photos: BCCI)

The Capitals began their chase confidently, with Shafali Verma (26) and captain Meg Lanning putting on 65 for the first wicket. Warriorz found a breakthrough when Sharma dismissed Verma, and when Jemimah Rodrigues fell for a two-ball duck, they seemed to have an opening at 70-2.

However, Lanning remained the anchor, stroking 12 boundaries in her 49-ball 69, as she combined with Sutherland for a crucial 49-run stand. The Warriorz had multiple opportunities to put the pressure back on Delhi but were guilty of dropped catches and misfields, allowing the Capitals to take control.

Even after Harris bowled Lanning at 119, the damage was already done. Sutherland, who remained unbeaten on 41 off 35 balls, and Kapp, who provided a quickfire 29 off 17, guided Delhi to victory with one ball to spare.

Henry bowled three overs for 26 runs in a tidy but wicketless spell.

With this win, the Capitals moved to second place on the WPL table with four points from three games, while UP Warriorz remain at the bottom, still without a point. Sportsmax