MUMBAI, India, CMC – West Indies captain Hayley Matthews failed again with the bat but made a massive impact with the ball, to help Mumbai Indians maintain their unbeaten run with a 55-run thrashing of Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League here yesterday.
The right-hander, who struck a rich vein of form in her opening three matches of the tournament, perished for a three-ball ‘duck’ at the top of the order but Mumbai got a top score of 51 from captain Harmanpreet Kaur to gather 162 for eight from their 20 overs.
Matthews then returned with her off-spin to snatch three for 23 from four incisive overs and destabilise the Giants run chase, the innings eventually melting down at 107 for nine.
Mumbai have won all their five games to sit on top of the five-team standings on 10 points, albeit only two points clear of Delhi Capitals who have lost once in five outings.
Sent in at Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai stumbled early when Matthews drove the fourth delivery of the contest to cover, to give Australian off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner (3-34) the first of her three wickets.
However, Matthews’ opening partner Yastika Bhatia struck 44 from 37 deliveries with five fours and a six while England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt belted 36 from 31 deliveries, in a 74-run, second wicket stand to pull the innings around.
Kaur, who struck seven fours and a couple of sixes in a 30-ball knock, then kept the innings going in a 51-run, fourth wicket stand with Amelia Kerr (19).
Matthews sustained Mumbai’s momentum, grabbing two of the first three wickets to fall as Giants slipped to 57 for six in the 12th over of their run chase.
Harleen Deol (22) and captain Sneh Rana (20) were the only ones to reach 20 as seamer Sciver-Brunt (3-21) and leg-spinner Amelia Kerr (2-18) followed up Matthews’ early salvo with damaging spells to limit Giants’ scoring.
