Nat Scriver-Brunt, Hayley Mathews shine in MI win
Scriver-Brunt takes two wickets to help restrict Gujarat Giants and hits a rapid fifty to set up a five-wicket win in the WPL game
New Delhi: Nat Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews starred in Mumbai Indians’ comfortable 5-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in the Women’s Premier League at the Kotambi Stadium, Vadodara on Tuesday. Matthews’ led with the ball while Sciver-Brunt’s 39-ball 57 paved the way for a comfortable 121-run chase for MI.
Although Matthews wasn’t able to make a significant impact, being dismissed by Tanuja Kanwer for 17, Sciver-Brunt anchored the innings yet again to get her team through for their first win. The English all-rounder carried from where she left off in her unbeaten 80 against Delhi Capitals in the previous match.
Wicket-keeper Yastika Bhatia (8) and skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (4) were dismissed cheaply by Priya Mishra and Kashvee Gautam respectively, but Sciver-Brunt stitched a 45-run partnership with Amelia Kerr (19) to stabilise the innings.
Mishra ensured Sciver-Brunt dragged on onto the stumps but it was too little, too late for GG, who suffered their second loss in three games. G Kamalini (4*) and S Sajana (6*) hit the winning runs.
Leading the charge early was Matthews, who delivered a masterclass in flight and variation, finishing with exceptional figures of 3/16. It was largely the overseas bowlers that wreaked havoc en route, bowling out GG for a paltry 120 runs.
Gujarat’s in-form skipper Ashleigh Gardner briefly sparked hope with a commanding pull for six off Sciver-Brunt. However, her resistance was short-lived, as the bowler struck back the next ball to dismiss her for 10. By the end of the powerplay, Giants were in deep trouble, reeling at 28/4.
Matthews was well-supported by Sciver-Brunt (2/26), who also dismissed the other Australian, Beth Mooney (1). Shabnim Ismail (1/17) and Kerr (2/22) were also instrumental in strangling the run flow.
The dangerous Deandra Dottin’s dismissal (7) made things worse. Harleen Deol (32) and Gautam (20) were not able to aid a recovery either. Gautam was pumped after she used her bottom hand power to hit Ismail for a 71-metre six but was caught by Bhatia in the very next over against Matthews.
Deol was the pick of the GG batters, scoring 32 off 31 before she was dismissed by all-rounder Amanjot Kaur (1/17) – the only Indian to take a wicket for MI.
The Giants’ aggressive approach that essentially relied on power-hitting rather than steady partnerships backfired as wickets tumbled at regular intervals. GG’s batting struggles were so evident that their highest partnership was a meagre 23-runs between Deol and Kanwer (13) for the eighth wicket.
With the win, MI climbed to the second spot in the five-team points table with one win and a loss. GG dropped to third with two losses in three games.
