Mumbai, Jan 15 (IANS) After Delhi Capitals opened their account in the Women’s Premier League 2026 with a seven-wicket win against UP Warriorz, batter Laura Wolvaardt reflected on a tense finish, saying the team could have taken a bit more responsibility to avoid taking the game deep.

Chasing a target of 155, DC completed the chase with seven wickets in hand. Openers Shafali Verma and Lizelle Lee laid the foundation with a strong opening stand. Despite a brief wobble in the middle overs, Wolvaardt (25 not out off 24) and skipper Jemimah Rodrigues (21 off 14) held their nerves to guide the team over the line.

Earlier, DC’s bowlers produced a disciplined effort to restrict UP Warriorz to 154 for 8, led by Marizanne Kapp’s figures of 2-24, while Shafali returned impressive figures of 2-16 to keep the scoring in check through the middle overs.

Reflecting on the tense last-ball finish, Wolvaardt said, “Very, very relieved. There was definitely some tension because it was a pretty similar equation to the last game. At one point it was me and Jemi batting again, so I did have a few flashbacks, but it was very nice that we were able to get over the line this time.”

Speaking about the nature of the surface and the challenges it posed, she said, “It was a much slower pitch and it was holding a bit more than the other night, with a lot more turn. On the previous wicket, there was no turn and it was sliding on nicely, so it was a very different challenge. We probably could have taken a bit more responsibility earlier to avoid taking it that deep, but we managed to get the job done.”

Praising opening partner Lizelle and her impact at the top of the order, Wolvaardt added, “She’s been wonderful. I’m very happy for her that she’s been able to contribute. She’s been batting like this consistently in franchise cricket in Australia and has been playing a lot of cricket. It’s really nice to play with her again. We had a very good opening partnership for South Africa, so it’s been awesome to bat together again, and she’s a very destructive player.”

Speaking about skipper Jemimah and her leadership, Wolvaardt added, “Jemi has been great. She’s a really good people person and knows how to communicate with everyone and get the best out of the group. She’s had a lot on her shoulders as a new captain, but she’s handled it really well and has been very inspirational for the team.”

Delhi Capitals will next face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Saturday as they look to build on the momentum from their first win of the season.

–IANS

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