Women’s Premier League | Matthews’ blitz blows away RCB

Matthews was in her element, smashing 13 fours and a six.
| Photo Credit: PTI

The crowd kept roaring. So did the tigresses of Mumbai Indians.

The only team in the Women’s Premier League to have the advantage of playing in front of a home crowd, MI gave its supporters plenty of reasons to make some deafening noise, as it scored a commanding nine-wicket win against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a marquee clash at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday.

After bowling out RCB for 155, with eight balls remaining, MI romped home with 5.4 overs to spare to post its second win in as many matches. For RCB, it was the second defeat in as many days.
Hayley Matthews (77 not out, 38b, 13×4, 1×6) was MI’s top-scorer. She was also her team’s highest wicket-taker.

With her off-spin, she scalped three, including the RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana. This is turning out to be a good tournament for the West Indian, who had scored 47 off 31 balls against Gujarat Giants in the opening match.

Choosing to bat, RCB struggled against a disciplined MI attack, backed by some spirited fielding. RCB began promisingly yet again, with Smriti and Sophie Devine showing intent. The openers added 39 in just 4.2 overs, with Smriti’s elegance and Devine’s power raising hopes of the RCB fans, who also seemed to have arrived in large numbers. But within a space of seven balls, RCB slid to 43 for four.

Devine was caught in the deep while slog-sweeping Saika Ishaque, the left-arm spinner who announced her arrival with a four wicket-haul against Gujarat Giants in the opening match of the tournament. A ball later, the Bengal bowler flighted one to bowl Disha Kasat.

It took some fine efforts down the order for RCB to take the score past 150.

But it proved a cakewalk for MI, as Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt (55 not out, 29b, 9×4, 1×6) took MI past the finishing line with an unbroken stand of 114 for the second wicket.

Tuesday’s match: Delhi Capitals vs. UP Warriorz (7.30 p.m.).