Ellyse Perry's heroics were again in vain as Jess Jonassen sent her Royal Challengers Bangalore team to the brink of elimination in the Women's Premier League.
Perry hit her second successive half-century, cracking an unbeaten 67 off 52 balls with five sixes, but Delhi Capitals chased down RCB's 4-150 in Bombay with two balls and six wickets to spare.
Perry had won the battle against Jonassen in the first innings, hitting her Australian teammate for two sixes, but with the ball she was unable to break the match-winning partnership of Jonassen (29 off 15) and Marizanne Kapp (a run-a-ball 32).
That delivered Capitals' fourth win in five matches, drawing them level on points with Mumbai Indians at the top of the table. RCB, however, remain without a win in five matches. They must win their remaining three matches and hope results go their way, but if they lose on Wednesday to Alyssa Healy's UP Warriorz they are out.
That would be scant reward for Perry who has now scored 195 runs at an average 48.75 in the tournament.
The Sydneysider began cautiously, getting the feel of what she described as a 'two-paced' pitch, and was only 12 off 20 balls and 25 off 35. On her 38th ball she batted a shortish delivery from Shikha Pandey back to the bowler who, to her horror, dropped it.
Two balls later Perry drove Pandey for six over long-in and the shackles were off. She hit 37 off her last 23 balls.
Perry was given good support by India's Richa Ghosh (37 off 16) while New Zealander Sophie Devine made 21 off 189.
Megan Schutt gave then RCB the perfect start when she bowled Shafali Verma second ball, her inswinger doing the trick as it often has in their international encounters.
With Lanning, starved of strike, watching on, England's Alice Capsey took the attack to RCB cracking a series of boundaries. However, after four in succession in the fifth over she was caught on the deep mid-wicket rope by Perry for a 24-ball 38.
Lanning was next to go for an uncharacteristically quiet 18-ball 15, followed by Jeminah Rodrigues for 32 off 28.
That brought Kapp and Jonassen together with 42 needed off 33 balls and six wickets in hand.
Scuhtt was bowled out, taking 1-24 in four overs, followed by Perry (0-28).
It came down to seven off four with Jonassen at the crease. The Queenslander launched a pull towards Perry on the deep leg-side boundary... and over her despairing jump for six. The next ball Jonassen slapped for four and Capitals were home.
"It got much closer than we would have liked but I was happy to be there at the end and get the team over the line," said Jonassen.
Such is the power of Australia's line-up the all-rounder rarely gets the chance to show her batting prowess at international level and she has relished the opportunity in the WPL hitting 73 runs for once out off 38 balls.
Collecting her second player of the match award she added: "It is really hard in the Australian line-up to get up the order, I'm starved of opportunity in that team, but in domestic cricket I bat in the lower order and try and finish games. More innings like this are hopefully coming."
