After a bit of an aberration, normal service resumed at the Women’s Premier League. Mumbai Indians won. Royal Challengers Bangalore lost.
The Mumbai women, who lost their last two games, must be relieved with their four-wicket victory at the D.Y. Patil Stadium on Tuesday. After reducing RCB to 125 for nine, they romped home with 3.3 overs to spare. Even before the afternoon’s first ball was bowled, there was a smile on MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur ’s face: she had won the toss for the first time in the tournament. The day got better with just the third ball of the match: Off the third ball, Sophie Devine, fresh from her astonishing 36-ball 99 against Gujarat Giants, was run out following poor communication with her skipper and opening partner Smriti Mandhana.
Smriti, though, began to show glimpses of her silken touch that had deserted her for most of the tournament. But she fell to spin again, this time top-edging the Kiwi leggie Amelia Kerr behind the stumps.
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Ellyse Perry (29, 38b, 3x4) and Richa Ghosh (29, 13b, 3x4, 2x6) jointly top-scored, though in contrasting styles. Kerr finished with three wickets while the England pace duo of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Issy Wong picked up two each.
MI’s chase got off to a flying start with Hayley Matthews (24, 17b, 2x4, 1x6) and Yastika Bhatia (30, 26b, 6x4) putting on 50 inside the PowerPlay. Though there was a wobble afterwards, the fifth-wicket stand of 47 between Kerr (31 n.o., 27b, 4x4) and Pooja Vastrakar (19, 18b, 2x4) ensured MI got its morale-boosting win. RCB’s campaign, on the other hand, ended with two wins and six losses.
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