Courtesy of another thoroughly professional display of unsparing cricket, Mumbai Indians extended their winning streak in Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 with an eight-wicket triumph over UP Warriorz. Following a praiseworthy bowling performance which restricted the Warriorz to a score of only 159 runs, Mumbai’s batters chased the total down in only 17.3, and at the loss of merely a couple of wickets.
Opting to bat first, UP had their opening stand broken in the second over, with the undisputed find of the season, Saika Ishaque trapping Devika Vaidya leg before wicket.
That dismissal, however, did not have a pronounced effect on Alyssa Healy’s team’s scoring rate, predominantly owing to the captain’s decision of taking the attack to Ishaque in the fourth over and striking four boundaries.
The powerplay produced 48 overs for the Warriorz, but Amelia Kerr’s introduction in the bowling attack worked wonders for MI. In only her first over, the Kiwi all-rounder dismissed Kiran Navgire, who can be fairly content with her 14-ball 17.
For the second instance on the night, the fall of a wicket was ineffective in depreciating UP’s scoring rate, with the Australian pair of Healy and Tahlia McGrath following the ‘best defence is good offence’ narrative to the letter.
The skipper brought up her second consecutive half-century in the 14th over, whereas in the 17th over, McGrath joined in with her fifty. That, however, proved to be the last source of euphoria for the Warriorz in this match.
Ishaque dismissed both batters in the same over, while the last three overs saw UP scoring a run-a-ball 18, and also lose a couple of more wickets.
Kaur, Sciver-Brunt Guide MI Over the Line
Mumbai got off to a flyer, albeit with a couple of handouts from their opposition, with Healy and Simran Shaikh letting go of opportunities to send Yastika Bhatia back to the dressing room. The dropped catches were costlier than costly, with 36 of Mumbai’s 51 runs in the powerplay coming from the 22-year-old’s willow.
The dismissal eventually arrived in the very next over, with Rajeshwari Gayakwad giving a good account of her experience.
Out of the blue, the Blues of Harmanpreet Kaur’s team found themselves in a spot of bother as the subsequent over saw Hayley Matthews losing her wicket to Sophie Ecclestone.
However, Kaur and Natalie Sciver-Brunt prevented an extension to the procession of wickets. The initial approach was to go steady, with the first 11 overs yielding 76 runs, but then came the fireworks.
The last 88 runs were scored in only 39 deliveries as MI ended up comfortably sailing towards their fourth consecutive victory. Kaur recorded her third half-century in this competition, proving to be a stellar buy for the franchise, whilst Sciver-Brunt remained unbeaten on 45 runs off 31 deliveries.
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