(Sherdon Cowan) West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry delivered another stellar performance with both bat and ball to assist UP Warriorz to a commanding 33-run victory over Delhi Capitals in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Much like her unbeaten 33 in a losing cause against the same opponents on Wednesday, Henry once again stood tall, this time blasting a sensational 23-ball 62, including two fours and eight sixes, to propel UP Warriorz to 177-9. She then chipped in with 1-42, complementing Kranti Goud’s four-wicket haul and Grace Harris’s last-over hat-trick as the Capitals were bowled out for 144.
The victory marked UP Warriorz’s first win of the season and made them the first team to successfully defend a total in this year’s tournament.
Sent in to bat, UP Warriorz found themselves in trouble at 89-6 before Henry turned the tide with a breathtaking counterattack. Striking at an astonishing 269.56, she equaled the record for the fastest fifty in WPL history, reaching the landmark in just 18 balls.
Her late blitz featured a crucial 57-run stand with Sophie Ecclestone (12) and another valuable partnership with Tahlia McGrath (24), who was the next-best scorer.
Delhi Capitals’ bowlers had their moments, with Jess Jonassen (4-31) leading the attack, while Arundhati Reddy (2-52) and Marizanne Kapp (2-18) also made contributions.
In response, the Capitals looked steady at 97-3, anchored by Jemimah Rodrigues’s fluent 56 off 35 balls, which included eight fours and a six, and Shafali Verma’s 24. However, a dramatic collapse saw them lose four wickets for just 14 runs, slipping to 111-7 and ultimately falling short.
Niki Prasad (18) and Shika Pandey (15 not out) tried to salvage the chase, but UP Warriorz’s bowling attack proved too strong.
Goud finished with impressive figures of 4-25, while Harris wrapped up the innings in style with 4-15 in just 2.3 overs.
With this victory, UP Warriorz improved their record to one win and two losses as they inched up to fourth on two points in the tournament, while Delhi Capitals slipped to third on four points with this their second loss in four games. (Sportsmax)
