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Mumbai women cruise to win over Warriorz

cricket06 March 2025 17:57| © MWP
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A superb partnership of 92 off 58 balls between Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt enabled the Mumbai Indians Women to cruise to a six-wicket victory over the UP Warriorz in their Tata WPL match in Lucknow on Thursday.

Mumbai are now just two points behind Delhi Capitals with a game in hand while the basement Warriorz – while mathematically still able to make the playoffs – will need a minor miracle to do so.

Chasing the Warriorz’ total of 150 for nine, Matthews and Sciver-Brunt were in total control in their second-wicket partnership and should probably have finished off the match themselves.

But both players gave their wickets away when cruising to victory.

Sciver-Brunt mistimed a pull off a long-hop from Grace Harris to Deepti Sharma at wide mid-on who pulled off a fine diving catch.

She departed for 37 in 23 balls.

Then Matthews, who had played a series of fine drives and cuts off the back foot as well as some lusty pulls, attempted one blow too many and holed out to mid-on for an excellent 68 off 46 balls, including eight fours and two sixes.

There was a brief hiccup in Mumbai’s progress towards victory when Harmanpreet Kaur fell for four off nine balls, but Amanjot Kaur and Yastika Bhatia then saw their team through to victory comfortably enough with nine balls to spare.

WARRIORZ COLLAPSE

Earlier, the Warriorz, having been put in to bat by Mumbai, made a good start to their innings but then collapsed abjectly.

Harris and Georgia Voll looked in command in their opening stand of 74 from 48 balls but then the home team lost seven wickets for 51 in nine overs after the dismissal of Harris.

Voll, playing in only her second WPL match, struck 12 fours in her encouraging 55 in just 33 balls before she was bowled by Sciver-Brunt attempting an unlikely scoop.

That was the moment when Kiwi legspinner Amelia Kerr took charge as she swept through the middle-order and the tail, claiming her best-ever T20 figures of 5-38 as the home team’s innings went into reverse.

Only Deepti Sharma (27 in 24 balls) and Sophie Ecclestone with a cameo of 16 at the death, showed much resilience as the remaining batters crumbled.

UP WARRIORZ WOMEN: Grace Harris, Kiran Navgire, Georgia Voll, Vrinda Dinesh, Deepti Sharma (capt), Shweta Sehrawat, Uma Chetry (wk), Chinelle Henry, Sophie Ecclestone, Gouher Sultana, Kranti Goud

MUMBAI INDIANS WOMEN: Yastika Bhatia (wk), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), Amelia Kerr, S Sajana, Amanjot Kaur, G Kamalini, Sanskriti Gupta, Shabnim Ismail, Parunika Sisodia

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