• Friday, March 29, 2024

Sport

WPL: Mumbai thrash Bangalore by 9 wickets to keep 100% winning record

Mumbai Indians players celebrate the dismissal of Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Kanika Ahuja during their match in Women’s Premier League (WPL), at Brabourne Stadium, in Mumbai on Monday, March 6, 2023. (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

An all-round performance from Hayley Matthews and fifty from Nat-Sciver Brunt helped Mumbai Indians (MI) crush Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by nine wickets in their Women’s Premier League (WPL) match at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Monday (6).

The win helped MI strengthen its hold at the top of the points table with two wins in as many matches, with a total of four points.

RCB are currently at the fourth position with no win out of two.

MI came out with a fine bowling performance to put a check on RCB’s scoring after their captain Smriti Mandhana won the toss and elected to bat first. They could not last their full 20 overs, thanks to some spirited bowling spells from Hayley Matthews, Saika Ishaque and Amelia Kerr, and could manage 155.

A lot of batters got start for RCB but none could go on to transform them into big knocks. Mandhana (23) and Sophie Devine (16) gave their side a decent start by putting on 39 runs in less than five overs but two wickets in two balls in the same over pegged the RCB back. Mandhana, too, departed soon and suddenly Bangalore fell like ninepins, losing half their side for only 71 in the ninth over. Wicket-keeper-batter Richa Ghosh (28) and Kanika Ahuja (22) added 34 runs for the sixth wicket and Shreyanka Patil (23) and Megan Schutt (20) added another 34 for the eighth wicket to help RCB cross 155. Yet, they could not last 20 overs with Hayley Matthews taking three wickets for Mumbai.

Chasing 156, openers Hayley Matthews (77 not out) and Yastika Bhatia (23) put RCB out of the game even before the powerplay ended. The duo tormented the bowlers at will and raced to 45 in just five overs when Bhatia fell against the bowling of Preeti Bose.

But that was the only success that RCB tasted as Sciver-Brunt slammed an unbeaten 55 at No.3 to add 114 runs to take Mumbai home with more than five overs to spare.

Brief Scores: RCB 155 in 18.4 overs (Richa Ghosh 28, Smriti Mandhana 23, Hayley Matthews 3/28) lost to Mumbai Indians 159/1 in 14.2 overs (Hayley Matthews 77*, Nat-Sciver Brunt 55*, Preeti Bose 1/34).

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