Tuesday there at DY Patil stadium in Mumbai, Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by four wickets to win the Women’s Premier League’s league stage with six wins out of eight (March 21). Kerr’s three-wicket haul held the RCB to 125/9 in addition to two each from Nat Sciver-Brunt and Issy Wong.
MI needed to complete the target in 11.3 overs to surpass Delhi Capitals’ net run rate, but after a brilliant start, they dropped early wickets and failed to reach their target. With 3.3 overs left, MI was able to win thanks to a 47-run partnership between Kerr (31* off 27) and Pooja Vastrakar, who teamed up at 73/4.
MIW vs RCBW: Quickly fallen wickets deescalates MI’s brisk start
Before she was bowled on a no-ball for overstepping, Hayley Matthews smashed a six as well as a boundary in Sophie Devine’s exciting second over, which has seen MI reach 23 in just two overs. Yastika Bhatia began the innings with a boundary off Megan Schutt, then smacked two fours against Shreyanka Patil and three further off Ellyse Perry.
With a boundary from Matthews off Shreyanka, MI crossed the 50-run threshold in the sixth over. However, Yastika slipped off the last ball of the powerplay, reaching Smriti Mandhana at mid-on, who shuffled before keeping the ball, leaving the side at 53/1.
Nat Sciver-Brunt scored a boundary off Asha Shobana’s bowling, but Matthews was dismissed in the next over after smashing a Schutt ball straight to Mandhana at cover. Sciver-Brunt smashed a six against Shobana, but he was soon dismissed after edging to the keeper. Then Harmanpreet pulled a Perry delivery towards the stumps.
MIW vs RCBW: Vastrakar and Kerr covers MI’s front line
To help MI reach the 90s during the 12th over, Kerr and Vastrakar both smashed a boundary off Perry and Shobana, and Vastrakar smashed two fours off Shreyanka. However, Kerr and Vastrakar were pleased to amass the doubles and singles to progress MI while rotating the strike. With to a scoop drive from Schutt that flew over the wicketkeeper’s head and awarded Kerr her third four, MI topped 100 in the 14th over.
Vastrakar and Mandhana’s partnership came to an end when he tried to hit a Kanika Ahuja ball over the top but rather gave Mandhana a catch at long off. Wong also fell in the same over, giving Mandhana a fourth catch. Mandhana, who finished the game in the 17th over by bowling five wides,
MIW vs RCBW: MI puts RCB in place
Harmanpreet Kaur won the toss and decided to bowl for the very first time in the WPL. Devine was run out early in the innings without making a run, which resulted in another wicket. Although Mandhana and Perry both hitting a boundary during the initial four overs, RCB was only able to score 16 as the MI bowlers kept their lines in check and didn’t bowl any loose deliveries.
Mandhana scored the first six runs off Sciver-Brunt, who really hit a streaky boundary, for a total of six runs. In contrast, RCB could only produce 32 during the powerplay, and they quickly lost their captain when Mandhana took control while attempting to take Kerr away from the field for 24 off 25. Midway through his innings, Perry assisted the RCB in reaching 56/2 after smacking duo boundaries off Saika Ishaque.
MIW vs RCBW: Kerr strikes through the RCB batting department
As she attempted to cross the fence, Heather Knight was taken at long-on, handing Kerr her second wicket. In comparison, Matthews completed her sparing session after allowing just 18 runs in her four overs. As bowler Saika failed to catch a wayward toss, MI missed the opportunity to run Perry out.
Yet, because Kerr baffled her, they were capable of sending Ahuja home on the cheap. RCB was attempting to gain impetus on a surface that benefited the slower bowlers but had only reached 79 for 4 at the end of the 15th over.
MIW vs RCBW: Ghosh shines yet RCB amasses only 120
Richa Ghosh opened the scoring in the 15th over by hitting a boundary and a six off Wong, both of which were directed at the leg-side boundary. Perry was however the fifth player to abandon the match after being pinned ahead of Sciver-Brunt. In the same over, the all-rounder for England bowled Shreyanka as well.
After Ghosh hit Saika for a six, the bowler sent it back following two assessments from of the hitter and the defensive team. Ghosh got lucky when Wong put her down off Kerr after she had previously in the over scored a streaky boundary. She then increased the number of boundaries she had. Wong eventually eliminated Ghosh to put an end to RCB by letting Kerr snag her in the deep. Disha Kasat was also struck out by the bowling.
MIW vs RCBW: Brief Scores
Royal Challengers Bangalore Women 125/9 in 20 overs (Richa Ghosh 29, Ellyse Perry 29; Amelia Kerr 3-22, Nat Sciver-Brunt 2-24) lost to
Mumbai Indians Women
129/6 in 16.3 overs (Amelia Kerr 31*, Yastika Bhatia 30; Kanika Ahuja 2-5) by 4 wickets.