Bengaluru, Feb 26 (SocialNews.XYZ) All-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt picked 3-18, her best bowling figures in the Women’s Premier League (WPL), as Mumbai Indians restricted UP Warriorz to 142/9 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.
UPW got off to a rollicking start, thanks to Grace Harris making a quick-fire 45 after being promoted to open the batting and take them to 80/1 in nine overs. But MI made a strong comeback by picking wickets in heaps to keep the Warriorz to a below-par total. Apart from Nat, who used slower balls very well, Shabnim Ismail and Sanskriti Gupta took two wickets each, while Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr each had a scalp.
Electing to bowl first, MI struck quickly when Kiran Navgire pulled off the toe-end to mid-on against Nat. But after that, boundaries began to flow for UPW – Grace dispatched Shabnim for a hat-trick of fours, while Vrinda Dinesh elegantly lofted and hooked Nat for her two fours.
MI brought in Hayley’s off-spin, but it didn’t make any difference, as Grace heaved, swept, bisected the gap, and muscled powerfully to hit two fours and as many sixes in a 20-run fourth over. Vrinda superbly drove Shabnim through cover before dispatching Hayley over the bowler’s head to get two fours as UPW ended the power-play at 62/1. The duo took a four each off Jintimani Kalita, with Grace being dropped by Shabnim at long-on when on 44. But that reprieve didn’t cost MI much as Shabnim took Grace’s catch at long-on off Amelia’s bowling to end the 79-run stand for the second wicket.
From there, MI triggered a UPW meltdown as Vrinda pulled straight to deep square leg off Sanskriti, who later uprooted Tahlia McGrath’s off-stump in the 11th over. Deepti Sharma went for a sweep off Hayley but got a top edge, and Harmanpreet Kaur took a one-handed stunning catch at short fine leg.
Shweta Sehrawat couldn’t keep a cut down against Nat and was caught at backward point. Some tight bowling from MI meant there was no Chinelle Henry magic for UPW, as she hit straight to deep mid-wicket off Nat.
Sophie Ecclestone couldn’t replicate her power-hitting heroics from the last game as Shabnim castled her and Saima Thakor in the 19th over. It took a boundary from Kranti Goud on the last ball of the innings to help UP Warriorz cross the 140-mark, something they won’t be happy with after their power-play fireworks.
Brief scores:
UP Warriorz 142/9 in 20 overs (Grace Harris 45, Vrinda Dinesh 33; Nat Sciver-Brunt 3-18, Sanskriti Gupta 2-11) against Mumbai Indians
Source: IANS
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