The Aussie contingent dominated a Saturday WPL double header, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru and UP Warriorz notched crucial wins
Georgia Voll has taken a long overdue chance to shine again in the Women’s Premier League, while another Australian youngster Lucy Hamilton caught the eye with a spectacular debut with the bat.
Voll, sidelined by the unbeaten Royal Challengers Bengaluru all season after a below-par WBBL campaign, grasped her chance in Saturday’s recall by guiding her side to an eight-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in Navi Mumbai.
Her fine unbeaten 54 off 42 balls proved the key support to captain Smriti Mandhana’s dazzling 96 off 61.
It continued Voll’s extraordinary record in the competition, having scored a tournament-high 99no last year for UP Warriorz. Her record now reads three half-centuries in four knocks, averaging 104 at a strike-rate of 155.
Earlier, 19-year-old Brisbane Heat bowling allrounder Lucy Hamilton introduced herself in even more spectacular fashion with the bat for Delhi, coming in at No.9 when they were ailing at 7-108.
Taking a fearless approach, she tonked three sixes and three fours in an astonishing cameo, top-scorer Shafali Verma (66) finding an unlikely ally as Hamilton ended with 36 off just 19 balls, allowing Delhi to recover to 166.
“I knew she could bat, but I’ve never seen her bat the way she did today. It was crazy!” enthused her Delhi captain, Jemimah Rodrigues.
But the teen’s contribution wasn’t enough as Mandhana and No.3 Voll put on a superb second-wicket partnership of 142 after Grace Harris had fallen for one in just the third over.
Mandhana batted sublimely, looking sure to become the first woman to score a WPL ton after eight others had fallen just short in the nineties, including Voll, who was stranded one away last season when the overs ran out.
“I didn’t get the hundred either, so no advice from me,” grinned Voll, when asked if she’d had any encouraging words for her superstar skipper.
Just one boundary away from history, Mandhana cut hard and looked to have pierced the field only for the brilliant Hamilton to dive and pluck a terrific catch behind point.
It didn’t stop RCB racing to a fourth-straight win, though, as Voll finished the job at 2-169 with a delightful scooped four off Hamilton, who’d found life harder with the ball with her 0-34 off 3.2 overs.
Earlier in the final double-header in Navi Mumbai before the tournament next moves north to Vadodara, there was another splendid Australian double act as Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield continued their flourishing partnership for UP Warriorz in their 22-run win over Mumbai Indians.
Lanning scored a record-breaking 11th career WPL half-century, making 70 off 45 balls, while putting on 119 for the second wicket with Litchfield, who clubbed 61 off 37, providing the foundation for the Warriorz to amass 8-187.
Nicola Carey had continued her brilliant campaign by taking a wicket fourth ball but eventually ended up being hit for 38 off her four overs, and she had a rare failure with the bat, falling for six as Mumbai’s top-order folded, eventually limping to 6-165.
WPL 2026 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
RCB
4
4
0
0
0
1.6
0
8
2
MI
5
2
3
0
0
0.151
0
4
3
GUJ
4
2
2
0
0
-0.319
0
4
4
UPW
5
2
3
0
0
-0.483
0
4
5
DEL
4
1
3
0
0
-0.856
0
2
Legend
M: Matches played
W: Wins
L: Losses
T: Ties
N/R: No results
NRR: Net Run Rate
Ded.: Deductions
PTS: Total points
