Just Mumbai Indians things: Harmanpreet, Sciver-Brunt help defeat UP Warriorz

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Just Mumbai Indians things: Harmanpreet, Sciver-Brunt help defeat UP Warriorz


Bombay Indians 164 for 2 (Harmanpreet 53*, Sciver-Brunt 45*) pace UP Warriorz 159 for 6 (Healy 58, McGrath 50, Ishaque 3-33) for eight wickets

Who can stop the Mumbai Indians in the Women’s Premier League?

UP Warriorz were the only team yet to play, and consequently yet to lose, to Mumbai in the WPL and they did so by eight wickets on Sunday in front of a packed Brabourne Stadium.

Halfway through the tournament, Mumbai played four and won four with the following margins: 143 runs (Gujarat Giants), nine wickets (Royal Challengers Bangalore), eight wickets (Delhi Capitals) and eight wickets (Warriorz).

But don’t be fooled by this latest lopsided spread. The victory over Warriorz was not as easy as the score shows. Harmanpreet Kaur (53 for 33) was on his feet and delivered a remarkable punch to make a tricky chase look easy.

Mumbai hadn’t exactly been tested in their first three WPL matches. They were challenged in the fourth, but passed it with flying colors thanks to their captain and trump card, purple cap holder Saika Ishaque.

The match, and Mumbai’s prowess, can perhaps best be explained by a two-over tale.

In the early innings, the Warriorz were sailing at 133 for 2 after 15 overs with Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath having reached fifty. Ishaque then last came on at 17 in a bid to end the partnership. On the third ball, he dismissed Healy lbw at 58. Two balls later, he stumped the other half-centurion McGrath. Cool as you want.

He finished his spell with figures of 3 for 33, the purple cap firmly on his head.

In response, Mumbai were in trouble at 72 for 2, needing 88 off 60 balls with Harmanpreet and Nat Sciver-Brunt in the crease. Little by little they built up a position, but it was when McGrath first came on at 16 that he firmly put the match in his favor.

There was a timeout halfway through when Sciver-Brunt was checked for concussion. One has to wonder what the Mumbai captain discussed at the short break when she returned to lead the Aussie by three bounds and an effortless six clean to completely break the equation.

Harmanpreet took six balls to go off the mark, but finished on fifty-31 balls.

Harmanpreet stuff only. Just Mumbai Indian stuff.

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