DC Coach Batty: 170 Would Have Been a More Achievable Target Against RCB

Synopsis

In a post-match statement, DC coach Jonathan Batty reflected on his team's performance, noting they were short of a competitive score against RCB. He emphasized the need for a stronger batting display in future matches to be more competitive in the WPL 2025.

Key Takeaways

DC fell short of a competitive score by 30-40 runs.
Jemimah Rodrigues scored aggressively but couldn't maintain momentum.
Batting partnerships were crucial for achieving a higher score.
RCB's bowlers executed their plans effectively against DC.
Future matches require improved batting performances from DC.

Vadodara, Feb 18 (NationPress) Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Jonathan Batty expressed that his team was 30-40 runs short of a competitive total as the defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) easily chased down 142 to secure their second straight victory in the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025 season.

Although DC lost Shafali Verma in the initial over, they began solidly with Jemimah Rodrigues showcasing aggressive batting during the powerplay. She amassed 59 runs off 39 balls alongside Meg Lanning, but after her departure, the batting lineup faltered, distancing them from a fighting total.

"Batting was probably more challenging at the start of the first innings, so I was quite satisfied coming out of the power play at 55 for 1," Batty noted.

"I thought the first two or three overs saw RCB bowl exceptionally well, and Meg and Jemimah battled hard to position us well at the end of the power play. However, we perhaps made it a bit too easy for them to take our wickets, showing some sloppiness in our execution.

"They formed a solid partnership following Shafali's early exit. I believed they played positively with relatively low-risk shots. Most of the batters who followed got decent starts, reaching the teens and twenties but failed to push further. We likely required another 50 or 60-run partnership somewhere in our batting order to reach what I assume would have been around 170 to even pose a challenge, with 180 probably being par," he added.

Following a lackluster batting performance, the bowlers couldn't exert much pressure on RCB. Smriti Mandhana took the lead early on, attacking Marizanne Kapp, leaving DC in a chase mode. The opening partnership between Mandhana and Danni Wyatt-Hodge amassed 107 runs in less than 11 overs, effectively sealing the match.

"141 was never going to be sufficient," he stated. "With the dew setting in again, batting gets easier as the evening progresses. We understood we needed to take wickets and bowl them out, which puts the bowling unit under pressure. So, yes, not enough runs sums it up.

"I thought RCB's bowlers were spot on, particularly early on. They were well-managed by their captain and never allowed us to break away even though we threatened a couple of times towards the end of the power play. They consistently executed their skills well throughout the middle phase of the match as well.