Navi Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) A spinners’ masterclass helped UP Warriorz bundle out Mumbai Indians for 127 in 20 over in Match 15 of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium here on Saturday.
Spinner Sophie Ecclestone, Deepti Sharma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad together claimed seven wickets to dismantle the Mumbai Indians’ batting line-up. While Ecclestone picked three, Deepti and Gayakwad got two wickets apiece.
For Mumbai Indians, Hayley Matthews was the top scorer with 35 off 30 hitting one boundary and three maximums, followed by Issy Wong who played a cameo of 32 off 19 balls.
Asked to bat first, Mumbai Indians didn’t have the best powerplay like that of the other matches and scored 31 for the loss of one wicket.
Warriorz’s bowlers came out all guns blazing as they didn’t let the MI batters stay long on the crease as wickets kept falling at regular intervals.
In the fourth over, Grace Harris created the first chance for the Warriorz. Yastika Bhatia sliced a lofted drive but survived as Anjali Sarvani at cover failed to judge that well as she didn’t get her hands to it.
After Yastika got a lifeline, Matthews shifted gears and hit Harris for back-to-back sixes. In the next over, Anjali compensated for her catch drop by dismissing Yastika, who tried to join the party by exposing the stumps to scoop it over fine but instead missed the ball, which ended up flattening the leg stump.
Sophie Ecclestone got Nat Sciver-Brunt’s leg before in her first over. Sciver-Brunt went back to flick but was beaten by pace and got hit in front of middle and leg stumps and the umpire didn’t hesitate in giving it out.
Halfway through, Warriorz managed to keep the momentum of the game in their favour as they didn’t let MI build a solid partnership and the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side was 56/2 after 10 overs.
Sophie Ecclestone broke MI’s backbone in the 11th over, sending the dangerous-looking Mathews back for 35. Mathews tried to pull but the ball turned away at the last moment and got the top edge and spooned up to wicketkeeper Healy.
MI suffered another blow in the 13th over as Rajeshwari Gayakwad trapped Amelia Kerr cheaply for 3. The next over, Deepti almost trapped skipper Harmanpreet lbw. But the right-hander immediately reviewed. There was a spike on Ultra Edge as the ball passed the bat and Harmanpreet survived.
However, luck was not with the skipper’s side and on the next delivery, Harmanpreet danced down the track for a big heave-ho over the leg side, targeting the longer part towards deep mid-wicket. But she didn’t get enough elevation and Simran Shaikh took an easy catch near the fence. MI were reduced to 81/5 in 14 overs.
Captain Alyssa Healy’s decision to bring Ecclestone back in attack in the 16th over succeeded after a missed chance. First, Issy Wong went downtown but mistimed it, luckily she survived as the fielder failed to pouch it as the ball burst through her palms before rolling away to the fence for four.
On the very next ball, Ecclestone got what she was looking for, removing Amanjot Kaur for 5. Ecclestone’s full delivery slanted into the leg stump and Amanjot walked forward but failed to connect with her shot across the leg. The ball went past the bat and Healy was quick to dislodge the bails.
Gayakwad picked up her second wicket on the last ball of her spell in the form of Humairaa Kaazi (4). She looked to hit across the line but got bowled and MI were reeling at 103/7 in 17 overs.
In the penultimate over, Dhara Gujjar (3 ) fell to the bowling of Deepti, who went round the wicket and fired a quicker delivery. Gujjar was looking for some quick runs and played a slog sweep but missed and the stumps got uprooted.
Issy Wong dug deep to add some crucial runs on the board as she started off the final over with a brilliant six over Deepti’s head. A dot ball later, she hammered it in front of square on the leg side for a four before getting run out by Deepti’s direct hit at the striker’s end.
Deepti was at her best as she inflicted another run-out on the final delivery of the inning, sending Saika Ishaque back to the hut for a duck.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 127 all out in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 35, Issy Wong 32; Sophie Ecclestone 3-15, Rajeshwari Gayakwad 2-16) against UP Warriorz.
–IANS
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