A Devine Deja Vu

Sophie Devine cringes at the inevitable headlines, but when you routinely turn sinking causes into stirring victories, the cliches write themselves. On Tuesday, Devine's ruthless intervention restored order after a bruising over had gone for 23. For the second time this season, her final-over coup left the Delhi Capitals shell-shocked.

Delhi's chase of 175 lay in tatters at 100/6 in the 15th over. With 70 needed from 30 balls, Sneh Rana joined Niki Prasad at the crease.

The momentum swung Delhi's way in the 17th over. Devine, usually calm at the death, was taken apart by Niki Prasad, who hammered four consecutive boundaries on the off-side. Rana then smashed a six to close out a 23-run over.

The equation was down to 37 from 18. Tanuja Kanwer conceded only eight in the 18th, leaving 29 needed from 12. Gujarat Giants skipper Ash Gardner bowled the penultimate over. Rana attacked with a 6, 4, 4, and Niki added a boundary, plundering 20 runs.

From a game Gujarat had no business losing, Delhi were now just two hits away. Enter Sophie Devine, defending eight runs.

Niki Prasad took two runs from the first ball, with Rana surviving a close run-out review after a desperate dive. During the lengthy review, Devine conferred with teammates and was alerted to Rana's previous attempt to steal crease. She pulled out of her delivery stride the next ball to warn the Indian allrounder.

Niki backed away again; Devine followed her with a full ball down leg. The third delivery was a wide—a call Gujarat reviewed and lost. Devine corrected immediately, bowling a perfect wide yorker that Rana could only play at.

With five needed from three balls, Devine used her experience against Rana's aggression. Rana advanced to a back-of-length slower ball, only to pick out Georgia Wareham perfectly at deep midwicket.

As Rana walked back, a sinking feeling of deja vu set in for Delhi. Just a fortnight ago, Devine had defended six in the final over against them in a similar turnaround.

Minnu Mani walked in, took a single, and brought Niki Prasad on strike for the final delivery. Four runs needed. Devine packed the off-side, with three fielders on the leg-side boundary.

To a length delivery on middle and leg, Niki backed away aiming to go downtown. Devine gave her no width, and the youngster dragged it straight to long-on.

For the second time this season, Devine defended a single-digit score in the final over, completing the first-ever double against the Capitals in the competition's history.

Her composure and bouncebackability stood out. After a 23-run over, she put her hand up for the high-pressure task.

"To be honest, I probably felt like I owed it to Ash [Gardner]," Devine said after the three-run victory. "We got absolutely pumped in one of those overs… I thought it was incredibly brave of Ash to bowl the penultimate over… But it was pretty similar to our last game against them: just staying really calm and keeping the plans as simple as possible."

Lightning doesn't strike twice. Devine might, on evidence.