WPL: Shafali, Lanning demolish RCB, propel DC to 223/2
Mumbai, Mar 5: Shafali Verma and Meg Lanning struck belligerent fifties in a 162-run opening partnership as Delhi Capitals posted a huge 223 for two against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Women's Premier League fixture here on Sunday.
The 19-year-old Indian batting sensation returned to form in terrific fashion in a 45-ball 84, studded with 10 four and four sixes.
Lanning, the legendary World Cup-winning Australian skipper, was also at her attacking best in a 43-ball 72 (14x4) as the duo demolished a listless RCB attack on a batting paradise in Brabourne.
RCB finally got the much-needed breakthrough in the 15th over when England skipper Heather Knight dismissed the duo with her off-spin.
Knight cleaned up her Australian counterpart with a fuller delivery, and after just one delivery, Shafali went for a widish delivery with Richa Ghosh completing a brilliant catch to inflict a double blow.
But, it was little too late for the RCB camp as the DC duo's epic opening partnership of 162 runs from 87 balls had set the tone for a 200-plus score. It was then left to Marizanne Kapp and Jemimah Rodrigues to give the final flourish, and they adding 59 runs in the back end.
Fresh from her T20 World Cup exploits, the South African batter smashed three sixes and three fours in her 17-ball unbeaten 39, while Jemimah complemented well in a 15-ball 22 (3x4).
A compact-looking Shafali never put a foot wrong, and picked the loose balls well to unleash her fury en route a 31-ball fifty with a single off Megan Schutt.
In the next over, the peerless Australian skipper Lanning followed suit with a 30-ball half-century, sweeping Heather Knight to fine leg for a four.
Having started off with 12 boundaries in the powerplay, Delhi cantered to the 100-run mark at the halfway mark as the duo accelerated well in the middle overs.
While the pair's batting was majestic, Lanning and Shafali made merry against some listless bowling by the RCB bowlers.
On her WPL captaincy debut, Smriti Mandhana went on to use seven bowlers after she took the bold step of opting to bowl on a batting-friendly Brabourne.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
