WPL: Mooney anchors Gujarat Giants to close win over Delhi Capitals

Delhi Capitals desperately needed a magical knock to chase down the target of 175, and they very nearly found their heroes in Niki Prasad (47; 24b; 9x4) and Sneh Rana (29; 15b; 3x4; 2x6). Playing aggressive cricket, the pair shared a 70-run partnership off 31 balls and launched a stunning late-innings assault that took the game right down to the very last ball.Despite their efforts, the Capitals fell agonisingly short by just three runs against the Gujarat Giants at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Tuesday.Needing 60 runs from the final 24 balls, the duo targeted the experienced Sophie Devine in the 17th over, taking her to the cleaners with 23 runs. Their assault continued in the 19th over against Ashleigh Gardner, where they plundered another 20 runs, dramatically bringing the required equation down to just 9 runs in the nail-biting final over, bowled by Devine.Ultimately, the vast experience of the New Zealand allrounder shone through as she dismissed Sneh on the fourth delivery and then claimed Niki’s wicket on the very last ball, sealing the tense match.The Giants now are in the second position, while the Capitals dropped to the fourth place.The Giants’ win was built on opener Beth Mooney’s knock. She anchored the innings with 58 off 46 balls, while in the death overs, Tanuja Kanwar provided the late fireworks with an 11-ball 21.SCORES: Gujarat Giants 174/9 (B Mooney 58; S Charani 4/31) beat Delhi Capitals 171/8 (N Prasad 47, S Rana 29; R Gayakwad 3/20, Devine 4/37 by three runs.