11:11pm And that will be a wrap from us for tonight. We hope you enjoyed our coverage and we will be back at it on Thursday as the Delhi Capitals aim to break their WPL duck against a Royal Challengers Bengaluru side gunning for a second title in three seasons. We hope to have your company on Thursday too but until then, this is Shashwat signing off on behalf of Thilak and everyone else here at ESPNcricinfo. Ciao!
Jemimah Rodrigues, the Delhi Capitals captain is also the Player of the Match: (On the feeling after reaching a final) It is great. This final feels different. With GG, the last two games did not go our way. If you keep believing as a team, magic happens. (What changed) Nothing. Even our team meeting was short. We tried not to overthink. To trust ourselves. When you keep calm, things fall into place. A lot of credit goes to our bowlers. Our bowlers won us the game. They make my job easy as captain. One more game to go, and we keep the same plans. Today was restoration for us. The way Shafali and Lee, if they bat that way, it is very hard as a bowling team. Glad they are on my team. (On her partnership with Wolvaardt) Did not worry too much about the score, stuck to our game and played on merit. I was doing one thing (earlier) - I was trying way too hard. Last two games, I just let go. Backed myself. Did not even practice. Because I was practicing so hard, trying to hit every ball perfectly. Like one of the interviews I heard about a butterfly. The more desperate you are, the more it goes away. But the more you just let go, the more it comes and sits on your shoulder. Credit to Wolfie (Wolvaardt) to bat with such intent (and positivity). One more game to go. We are going to keep our plans simple. One more game to go and then we will celebrate. (On prep before the final) It will be super chill. Whoever wants to, can practice. But not sure many will. Just about staying mentally fresh, going out there on fifth and playing some good cricket.
Ashleigh Gardner, Gujarat Giants captain: Was not the most ideal start. Moons (Mooney) did a fantastic job of rescuing the innings with Wareham. Felt that was enough if we bowled well. But when you don't start well in the powerplay...they took the powerplay on (and took the game away from us). We felt it was defendable. But when you don't put on pressure early, it brings the other team (into the game). We missed the stumps a little bit too much and gave them too many free hits. We were not able to adapt quickly enough and were put on the back foot early. We have so many great bowlers, which is fantastic for me as a captain. Wareham set the tone with her first over but we were not able to do that for a long period of time. So much to be proud of. We had a brutal start to the WPL, so making it back to back (appearances in playoffs feels good). Felt this is the most balanced Giants side we have had. Have seen the evolution (having been here since the start). We have unearthed some fantastic talent. Someone like Anushka, she has looked at home. Rajeshwari as well. Indian players win you such tournaments. Different person stood up in every game and that is what you want. Going into the change room, it's been either youth or experience stepping up at different times. Would love to be playing on the fifth but someone had to lose, and we did not play our best cricket. We clawed our way back (in some games when we were well behind) and kind of set a benchmark with our scores (early in the competition).
Lizelle Lee: Always helps me get my eye in (if I keep before batting). Lucky we won the toss and had a chance to field first. Our fielding, overall, has not been too bad and today was a show of that. Bowlers did extremely well to restrict them. She (Rodrigues) is a positive captain and doing extremely well to get the best (out of her team), and I really like that about her. (Batting plans) Wanted to play as straight as possible and make good decisions. Think we did that very well tonight. (On her one handed catch) It was terrible, wasn't it? (Laughs) Needed to do two hands on that. (On the final) We just have to make sure we stick to our basics and play what is in front of us. Hopefully we can do that. (On plans for tomorrow) Probably going to stay in bed all day (laughs).
10:42pm At the half-way stage, it seemed that the Giants may have had something to play with. As it turned out, they were miles short. Miles short. They did not help themselves with their wayward bowling, but they also ran into a DC unit that was out to ensure there was no encore of past missteps.
Lee and Shafali set the tone at the start of the innings, blazing the Giants into submission in the powerplay. Rodrigues then produced a breathtaking display of stroke-play, with Wolvaardt not faring shabbily either. Kapp, who has not scored a truckload of runs this season, sealed the deal, which should also give her confidence heading into the final.
An evening to forget, especially with the ball for the Giants. Their plans were all over the place, with their execution not much better. This season may not go down as a complete failure because GG, after all, made the playoffs but having come this far, they will be disappointed at turning in one of their more indifferent displays.