Mumbai Indians continue WPL winning streak with thumping win over UP Warrior

UP Warriorz batted first in the match after winning the toss and put up 159/6. Alyssa Healy (58 off 46) and Tahlia McGrath (50 off 37) added 82 runs for the third wicket, but the rest of the batting failed to deliver. Devika Vaidya was out for 6 and Kiran Navgire for 17. For Mumbai, left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque picked up 3/33, including both half-centurions, and Amelia Kerr 2/33.

Mumbai chased down the target in 17.3 overs. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur top-scored with an unbeaten 53* off 33. Nat Sciver-Brunt was unbeaten on 45 off 31, while Yastika Bhatia scored 42 off 27. After Bhatia got the MI innings going, Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt added an unbroken 106 runs for the third wicket.

Harmanpreet struck nine fours and a six, while Sciver-Brunt hit six fours as well as the winning six off Shabnim Ismail’s bowling.

Speaking after being named Player of the Match, Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet said, “Very happy with the performance. The way we are gelling together I think this is the best tournament so far. Thanks to Nat, she played really well. Because of her I got some time to settle in and later play some shots.”

On UP getting into a good position with the bat, Harmanpreet admitted, “The way they were batting, we were a bit tense, but I knew one or two wickets could get momentum back into our favor. She added, “We were calculating how many overs were left and which bowlers to target, and that’s what cricket is all about. You gotta express yourself and pick your targets. We just need to keep doing the right things.”

While MI are table-toppers in WPL 2023, UP are third, with two wins and two losses.

–By A Cricket Correspondent