West Indies star Deandra Dottin produced a tidy all-round performance as Gujarat Giants tightened their grip on a Women’s Premier League playoff spot with a five-wicket victory over table-toppers Delhi Capitals in Lucknow on Friday.
Dottin, known for her ability to make an impact with both bat and ball, delivered once again, taking 2-37 from her four overs in partnership with Meghna Singh (3-35) to restrict Delhi Capitals to 177-5. She then returned with the bat to blast a quickfire 24 off just 10 balls, smashing two fours and two sixes, before Harleen Deol’s unbeaten 70 guided Gujarat to 178-5 with three balls to spare.
The win, Gujarat’s fourth of the campaign, saw them climb to second place on eight points, further cementing their playoff ambitions while virtually eliminating UP Warriorz from contention.
Sent in to bat, Delhi Capitals got off to a flying start, courtesy of an explosive 83-run opening stand between captain Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma. Verma, the early aggressor, hammered 40 off 27 balls, peppering the boundary with three fours and three sixes before she was caught off Singh.
Dottin then made her presence felt, cleaning up Jess Jonassen (nine) in the middle overs before Singh trapped Jemimah Rodrigues (four), triggering a mini-collapse that saw Delhi slip to 119-3.
Though Annabel Sutherland (14) added another 22 runs in a steady partnership with Lanning, she mistimed a shot off Singh and offered a catch to Dottin.
With wickets falling, Lanning took control of the innings, pushing Delhi toward a competitive total. The Australian skipper played a captain’s knock, blazing her way to 92 off 57 balls, an innings decorated with 15 fours and a six.
However, just as she eyed a well-deserved century, Dottin produced a straighter delivery in the final over, dismissing Lanning and ensuring Delhi couldn’t stretch their total.
In response, Gujarat had an early wobble, losing Dayalan Hemalatha (one) with only four runs on the board. But Beth Mooney and Harleen Deol steadied the innings, putting on 85 runs for the second wicket to put the chase back on track.
Mooney, playing fluently, notched up 44 off 35 balls, hitting six boundaries before falling in the 12th over. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner kept the momentum going, smashing a 13-ball 22 (2 sixes, 1 four) before being undone by Shikha Pandey at 128-3.
Then came Dottin’s fireworks. Wasting no time, she launched a brutal counterattack, joining Deol in a 34-run fourth-wicket stand that left Delhi struggling to stop Gujarat’s charge.
Even after Dottin fell and Phoebe Litchfield (zero) was dismissed one ball later, Deol held her nerve to guide the Giants home with an unbeaten 70 off 49 balls, an innings featuring nine fours and a six. Kashvee Gautam (nine not out) was also there at the end, as Gujarat sealed victory comfortably.
Pandey (2-31) and Jess Jonassen (2-38) were the Capitals most successful bowlers.
Despite the loss, Delhi Capitals remain atop the standings with 10 points, having played one more match than second-placed Gujarat Giants. With just a handful of games left in the league stage, Gujarat’s win all but confirmed UP Warriorz’s exit from playoff contention, leaving the battle for the top three wide open.