MUMBAI, India, CMC – Hayley Matthews suffered her first failure of the Women’s Premier League but unbeaten Mumbai Indians never flinched, strolling to their fourth victory of the tournament with an eight-wicket verdict over UP Warriorz Women here Sunday.
Asked to chase a tricky 160 at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai cruised to their target with 15 balls to spare with captain Harmanpreet Kaur stroking an unbeaten 53 from 33 deliveries and Nat Sciver-Brunt hitting 45 not out off 31 balls. Kaur lashed nine fours and a six while Sciver-Brunt notched half-dozen fours and a six. West Indies captain Matthews managed only 12, the failure coming on the back of scores of 47, 77 not out and 32.
Captain Alyssa Healy had earlier top-scored with 58 off 46 balls at the top of the order as Warriorz Women rallied to a respectable 159 for six off their 20 overs, after choosing to bat first. The Australian struck seven fours and a six as she put on 50 for the second wicket with Kiran Navgire (17) and a further 92 for the third wicket with Tahlia McGrath, who punched nine fours in a 37-ball 50.
Off-spinner Matthews picked up a single wicket from her four overs which cost 27 runs, in a slide which saw the last four wickets tumble for just 16 runs. The right-handed Matthews then looked to be getting into stride with the bat when she counted two fours in her 17-ball stay at the crease, as she helped post 58 for the first wicket with Yastika Bhatia, who made 42 from 27 balls with eight fours and a six.
When she tapped a return catch to left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone to be one of two wickets to perish in successive overs with the score on 58, Kaur and Sciver-Brunt put on 106 in an unbroken third wicket stand to see their side over the line.
