Match Details
In pursuit of 160, the Mumbai Indians openers Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Kristen Matthews started the innings on an electrifying note and exerted pressure on Warriorz straightaway. Both the batters went all guns blazing and made the most of the field restrictions. The left-hander Bhatia was dropped twice inside the first six and she went all around the park following that. The right-handed Matthews played the second fiddle to her and kept moving the scorecard.
The UP Warriorz lost both their reviews early on as both Matthews and Bhatia narrowly escaped two calls. The left-right duo swatted 51 off the powerplay before UP Warriorz bagged two quick wickets. Rajeshwari Gayakwad drew first blood for the Warriorz by dismissing Bhatia for 42(27) and that was soon followed by the massive scalp of Matthews as she was outwitted by Sophie Ecclestone.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur then got together with Natalie Sciver-Brunt and the duo absorbed the pressure and applied some brakes. However, the UP bowlers could not hold them off for a very long time as the duo started the onslaught to cruise Mumbai back into this contest. The UP bowlers had no answers whatsoever as the right-hander pair kept on toying with the bowlers.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur completed her second half-century and secured a fantastic 53*(33) after surviving a scare. Natalie Sciver-Brunt also played her part to perfection and bagged 45* (31) before finishing things in style. The duo glued up an unbeaten 106-run partnership and handed Mumbai Indian a few more easy points.
Earlier in the day, after electing to bat first, Devika Vaidya and Alyssa Healy spearheaded the innings for UP Warriorz and the duo started the innings on a watchful note. However, it wasn’t long enough before the purple-cap holder Saika Ishaque drew the first blood for Mumbai by trapping Vaidya 6(5) in front.
Kiran Prabhu Navgire then joined forces with the UP skipper Healy and hurried the innings straightaway to give back the momentum to the Warriorz. Healy used her feet excellently and counterattacked the high-flying Mumbai bowlers. The duo cruised Warriorz to 48/1 after the powerplay before Amelia Kerr removed Navgire 17(14) and ceased the 50-run stand between Healy and Navgire.
However, that could not pause the run scoring, as Tahlia McGrath, the next batter in, went on a rampage against Amelia Kerr and continued the hostile approach. Both McGrath and Healy kept on walloping boundaries at regular intervals and the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was at the sea. Both the right-handers got to their respective half-century before Saika Ishaque once again delivered the goods for Mumbai.
The left-arm spinner removed both Healy 58(46) and McGrath 50(37) in a single over and ceased the 82-run stand between the duo. Since then, the Warriorz failed to capitalize on the foundation as they lost a cluster of wickets at the backend and Mumbai restricted them to a chasable total. Ishaque was the pick of bowlers and she finished her stint with the figures of 3/33. Kerr also bagged a couple of crucial wickets while Hayley Kristen Matthews had one wicket to her name. Stick around for the post-match presentation!
Shabnim Ismail comes back into the attack and Mumbai Indians require only 7 now.