Wareham turns it around in RCB's defeat of Capitals

Georgia Wareham has redeemed her expensive start in the Women's Premier League (WPL) with a match-turning spell for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against the Delhi Capitals on Monday night.

Wareham took 3-25 as RCB bowled out the Capitals for 141 in 19.3 overs at Vadodara's BCA Stadium in a repeat of last season's final clash.

The defending champions then cruised to the total in 16.2 overs as captain Smriti Mandhana fired a 47-ball 81.

The result leaves RCB as the only undefeated team in the four-match old tournament, having started with a record successful chase of 201 against the Gujarat Giants in the opener.

It was a less-than-ideal start for Wareham, however, as she conceded 1-52 against the Ash Gardner-led side.

The leggie was taken for three consecutive boundaries by Beth Mooney as she missed her line and length in her first over. Later, Simran Shaikh and Gardner blasted her over the rope in a 20-run penultimate over.

The changed pitch in Vadodara on Monday, with its slower nature, presented her the perfect track to find her rhythm in the competition.

Before Wareham was brought into the attack in the seventh over, the Capitals were cruising – with 55 on the board – despite the early wicket of Shafali Verma. Jemimah Rodrigues had raced to 30 off 20 with two sixes and three boundaries.

The first ball she faced off Wareham, Rodrigues drove her straight down the ground for a four. But the Aussie had her revenge the next delivery as the right-hander was stumped by Richa Ghosh in her attempt to deploy the reverse sweep.

The Capitals could not get a partnership going after Rodrigues' dismissal as their Australian internationals – Meg Lanning (17 off 19), Annabel Sutherland (19 off 13) and Jess Jonassen (1 off 4) fell in quick succession.

While Sarah Bryce (23 off 19) once again got going for DC, she was outfoxed by Wareham, who was again helped by Ghosh with a clean stumping. The Australia and Melbourne Renegades star struck again with a simple return catch of Radha Yadav in the same over.

Wareham is yet to get a chance to show her batting prowess in the year's tournament as RCB completed an eight-wicket win to follow their six-wicket triumph in the first game.

Mandhana put up a 107-run opening stand with Danni Wyatt-Hodge (42 off 33) as dew changed the conditions dramatically in the second innings to make scoring much easier.

Australians at WPL 2025

Delhi Capitals: Annabel Sutherland, Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning

Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner, Beth Mooney, Phoebe Litchfield

Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Ellyse Perry, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth, Heather Graham

UP Warriorz: Grace Harris, Tahlia McGrath

WPL 2025 standings

Team	Matches played M	Wins W	Losses L	Ties T	No results N/R	Net Run Rate NRR	Deductions Ded.	Total points PTS
1 Delhi Capitals Women DEL	8	5	3	0	0	0.396	0	10
2 Mumbai Indians Women MI	8	5	3	0	0	0.192	0	10
3 Gujarat Giants GUJ	8	4	4	0	0	0.228	0	8
4 Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women RCB	8	3	5	0	0	-0.196	0	6
5 UP Warriorz UPW	8	3	5	0	0	-0.624	0	6

Legend

M: Matches played

W: Wins

L: Losses

T: Ties

N/R: No results

NRR: Net Run Rate

Ded.: Deductions

PTS: Total points