Tara Norris demolishes RCB to bag maiden five-for in WPL

USA’s left-arm speedster Tara Norris was at her majestic best in the inaugural edition of the ongoing Women’s Premier League. She snared a five-for in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore to help Delhi Capitals secure a win.

Shafali-Lanning fire away

As far as the game is concerned, Capitals won the contest by 60 runs. Skipper Meg Lanning and Shafali Verma looked in amazing touch, notching up 72 (43) and 84 (45) deliveries respectively. Norris chipped in with her match-winning figures of 5/29 with the ball in four overs.

Earlier, the knocks of the openers backed by Marizanne Kapp and Jemimah Rodrigues rocked the RCB bowling line-up. With Kapp’s 39* (17) and Rodrigues’ 22*(15), DC set a massive target of 224 to their opponents.

Tara Norris strikes big

Defending the huge total, DC struggled in the first four overs of the RCB innings but it was Alice Capsey who broke the opening pair of captain Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine, trapping the latter at an individual score of 14.

However, unfazed by Devine’s wicket, the batters at the crease – Mandhana and Ellyse Perry strived to set the tone. But Capsey troubled RCB again in her second over claiming Mandhana’s wicket who walked back for 35 (23). With the loss of two big wickets, RCB looked under pressure. Ellyse Perry fought valiantly with her rapid 31 that came off just 19 deliveries.

Perry got dismissed by Norris. After the veteran’s wicket, RCB’s batting faltered as Norris played the role of a wrecker-in-chief getting the scalps of Disha Kasat (9 runs), Richa Ghosh (2 runs), and Kanika Ahuja (0).

However, in the end, Heather Knight’s 34 runs off 21 deliveries and Megan Schutt’s unbeaten 30-run innings that came off 19 deliveries helped the team to post 163/8 in 20 overs and saved them from a humiliating defeat in their opening game.