Lanning leads Aussie super show for Delhi in WPL
Meg Lanning has regained her position as the Women's Premier League all-time leading run-scorer with a masterful knock for Delhi Capitals on a day when two of her Australian teammates shared the glory.
Jess Jonassen even eclipsed captain Lanning with her player-of-the-match, three-wicket performance while Annabel Sutherland took one of the best catches the WPL has witnessed as the table-topping Capitals overpowered Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in Bengaluru.
Lanning, who'd just been overtaken by another Aussie great Ellyse Perry at the top of the WPL's all-time run-scoring charts, regained her position at the summit in supreme fashion on Friday, easing her way to an unbeaten 60 off 49 balls that ensured her side moved two points clear atop the table.
A #TATAWPL Classic 🤩Annabel Sutherland plucks one out of thin air 😮Is this the best catch of the season yet? 🤔Updates ▶️ https://t.co/wVyWwYwJ0S #TATAWPL | #DCvMI | @DelhiCapitals pic.twitter.com/T8rzoMcRMf
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 28, 2025
Reaching her second half-century of the season off 40 deliveries, this was Lanning back at her flowing best after a few recent struggles, with the matchwinning knock taking her all-time run total to 845, 10 clear of Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Perry.
The 32-year-old's eighth half-century over the three editions of the competition is now also a record, and there should be plenty more fireworks when she does battle with her old international teammate Perry again in Saturday's Capitals-RCB clash in Bengaluru.
Lanning's innings, aided by fellow opener Shafali Verma's bludgeoning 43 off 28, ensured Delhi raced to their modest target on 1-124 with 33 balls remaining, which will be a boon to their net run-rate.
🔙 to 🔙 For an excellent spell of 3/25, Jess Jonassen wins her second consecutive Player of the Match award 👏🙌Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/wVyWwYwJ0S#TATAWPL | #DCvMI | @DelhiCapitals | @JJonassen21 pic.twitter.com/BG9j4F940x
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) February 28, 2025
As she watched her skipper stroke nine boundaries, an admiring Jonassen admitted afterwards that she felt that she didn't really deserve the player of the match award and that it sould have gone to Lanning.
But her 3-25, which featured the key dismissals of India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, trapped leg before for 24, and star England allrounder Nat Sciver-Brunt, sharply caught and bowled for 18, was a real match turner, continuing the discarded Australian international's great form in India.
It was the 32-year-old's second straight player-of-the-match accolade after her unbeaten 61 steered Delhi to victory over Gujarat on Tuesday.
Sutherland, Australia's player of the moment, got in on the act too, sprinting hard for 30 metres from long on before hurling herself forward to take a stupendous catch to see the back of New Zealand ace Amelia Kerr for 17.
"Just glad to hold on to it. Hopefully ticked off my high speed numbers there," said Sutherland, whose mum, in the crowd to watch her heroics, remained quite unemotional.
"She's watched her fair share of cricket - it's good to have her here," Sutherland smiled.
"That was an incredible catch - and crucial for us," said Lanning, who was thrilled the way young Indian spinner Minnu Mani's 3-17 also did much to keep Mumbai down to 9-123 after she had asked them to bat.
Sutherland (1-21 off four) also took a key wicket of her own, getting the in-form opener Hayley Matthews to miscue one straight into the hands of Shafali after she'd moved ominously on to 22 off 25.
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