• Mumbai Indians cruise into WPL final

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    England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt and Issy Wong starred as the Mumbai Indians trounced the UP Warriorz by 72 runs in the eliminator match of the inaugural Women’s Premier League in Mumbai on Friday.

    Mumbai will face the Delhi Capitals in the final at the Brabourne Stadium in the same city on Sunday.

    Sciver-Brunt smashed an unbeaten 38-ball 72 to propel Mumbai to 182-4 before fast bowler Wong claimed 4-15.

    Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and asked Mumbai to bat first, but they failed to check Mumbai’s second-half batting flourish before being bundled out for just 110 in the 18th over.

    Both Warriorz openers – Healy (11) and Shweta Sehrawat (one) – were back in the pavilion by the end of the third over.

    Tahlia McGrath (seven) was run out leaving Warriorz reeling at 21-3, from which they never recovered.

    Kiran Navgire’s 27-ball 43 was the only standout innings for Warriorz before she fell in the 13th over, caught by Sciver-Brunt off England bowler Wong who then completed the tournament’s first hat-trick by dismissing Simran Shaikh (nought) and Sophie Ecclestone (nought).

    On her hat-trick ball after the match, Wong said that she was “just trying to hit the stumps”.

    Wong added that teams didn’t enter “competitions to make the semi-finals, you enter them to be competitive and try to win it”.

    She was ably supported by Saika Ishaque (2-24) and Jintimani Kalita and Hayley Matthews who took one wicket each in their tight bowling spells.

    The UP Warriorz had started well after dismissing both Mumbai openers – Yastika Bhatia (21) and Matthews (26).

    But the Warriorz couldn’t dismiss Sciver-Brunt, who first took the score past 100 in a partnership with India and Mumbai captain, Harmanpreet Kaur (14).

    She unleashed her power hitting, after Kaur’s dismissal, with Amelia Kerr, who hit a 19-ball 29.

    A four-ball 11 cameo by Pooja Vastrakar pushed Mumbai to an above-par 182.

    Sciver-Brunt won the Player of the Match award for her all-round performance and praised the Mumbai pitch.

    It “was very nice for batting,” she said.

    “It was very enjoyable bating out there, I surprised myself with a few shots actually,” Sciver-Brunt added.

    Ecclestone was the Warriorz’ most effective bowler and finished her four-over spell with 2-39.

    The five-team WPL is already the second most lucrative domestic women’s sport competition globally after  WNBA basketball in the United States.

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    © Agence France-Presse

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    Simon Borchardt