Voll helps pull off record run chase to win Women’s Premier League

Royal Challengers Bengaluru pulled off the biggest successful chase in the Women’s Premier League to win their second title in the Indian franchise-based T20 league on Thursday, handing Delhi Capitals their fourth straight defeat in the final.

Put in to bat first, Delhi posted a commanding 4-203, but Bengaluru rose to the challenge in Vadodara, led by a 165-run second-wicket partnership between captain Smriti Mandhana and Georgia Voll.

With eight needed from the last four balls, Radha Yadav hit two straight boundaries to clinch the six-wicket win, securing Bengaluru’s second WPL title after a triumph in 2024.

“We did think it was a good surface to bat on, but of course, 200-plus in the final is definitely a good score. Voll led the way. Her intent was spot-on,” player of the match Mandhana said, praising her Australian teammate.

Voll, 22, had endured a poor season back home in the WBBL.

But having to overhaul Delhi’s massive total, Voll shone, matching her imperious captain Mandhana shot for shot in their match-winning partnership.

Voll got to 50 off 37 deliveries, and she soared on to a brilliant 79 off 54 balls, featuring 14 boundaries, before getting caught in the deep.

India superstar Mandhana was then also dismissed after a 41-ball 87 to leave nervous RCB still needing 13 off eight balls.

But they found a cool hero in Radha Yadav, who, with eight still needed off four, crunched two up-and-over boundaries off spinner Shree Charani to the offside ropes to seal victory in the month-long tournament.

Voll said her knock was one of the best of her career, considering the struggles she had endured earlier this summer.

“Yeah, obviously pretty high up there. Would have been better if I’d finished it off, but I’ve felt like I couldn’t hit the ball off the square for most of the season, so to come out there and perform in the final is obviously super special,” she said.

Fellow Australian Grace Harris opened for Bengaluru, scoring nine before being dismissed.

Harris contributed during the first innings in the field, taking the catch that dismissed Delhi opener Lizelle Lee when she was going strong on 37.

Jemimah Rodrigues (57 off 37), Laura Wolvaardt (44 off 25) and Chinelle Henry (35 not out off 15) then propelled Delhi to their formidable 4-203.

Harris’s best service, arguably, was her idiosyncratic team talk. 

“I just said to the girls, sometimes you only get this opportunity once, and to really take it,” explained the Toowoomba all-rounder.

“And I may have tried to be intelligent and quote Roger Federer, one of my favourites and one of the most successful athletes, who only won 54 per cent of all his points.

“So I just said to the girls, ‘listen, you only have to win 54 per cent to win — so let’s give it a good crack’. And look what happened.”

AAP/Reuters