Mumbai Indians have finished their league campaign of the inaugural WPL season with a four-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore at the DY Patel Stadium on Tuesday. After restricting RCB to a below par 125/9, MI overhauled the target in just 16.3 overs with Amelia Kerr hitting an unbeaten 31 off 27 to top-score for them in the chase.
Kerr had earlier snapped three wickets in a disciplined MI effort and for her all-round display, was declared player-of-the-match as well. MI’s chase began on a strong note with the opening pair of Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews stitching a 53-run stand.
WPL 2023: RCB vs MI Hightlights
However, both Yastika (30 off 26) and Matthews (24 off 17) exited in quick succession and in their effort to chase down the target quickly, MI kept losing wickets regularly.
After slipping from 53/0 to 73/4 when captain Harmanpreet Kaur departed on 2, Kerr and Pooja Vastrakar joined forces to lead the chase forward and added 47 runs to take MI closer.
With six needed off 24, RCB captain Smriti Mandhana introduced herself into the attack. Kerr struck a four off the first delivery before Mandhana sent one down the leg-side for five wides to complete the formality.
Kerr (3/22) validated MI captain Harmanpreet’s decision to bowl first, taking full advantage of a spin-friendly track here at the DY Patil Stadium, while Matthews (4-0-18-0) and Saika Ishaque (1/30) were also on the money.
Both Kerr and Ishaque joined Sophie Ecclestone of the UP Warriorz for most wickets (13) in WPL.
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RCB had fallen behind in the race to make it to the final three teams who would play the two-game knockout round to decide the winner of WPL, by losing five matches on the trot.
On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have also been under the pump coming off two consecutive defeats and would need to do better with the bat in the chase against RCB to regain lost form.
The task of chasing a moderate 126 would still be tricky given the pitch remained challenging for batting and aided spinners, with Mumbai Indians’ bowlers doing a fine job.
Mumbai made an early breakthrough when a horrible mixup between Sophie Devine (0) and Smriti Mandhana culminated in the former being run out on the fourth ball of the contest.
Mandhana continued to drive herself back into form, hitting a few exciting shots to make 24 from 25 balls with three fours and a six, before her innings was ended by Kerr off a mistimed stroke.
Ellyse Perry (29 from 28 balls, 3x4s) took her time to settle down and opened up only in the 10th over, hitting Saika Ishaque for consecutive fours. At the halfway stage, RCB were 56 for 2.
Heather Knight perished for 12 in the 11th over with Kerr bagging her second wicket, getting the English batter caught at long-on. Knight added 26 runs with Perry during her brief stay in the middle.
The slide continued for RCB with Kerr getting Kanika Ahuja (12) stumped by Yastika Bhatia and soon Nat Sciver-Brunt returned for her final over to claim a couple of wickets to finish at 4-0-24-2, dismissing Perry and Shreyanka Patil (4) to mark yet another poor show for RCB with the bat.
Richa Ghosh cracked three fours and two sixes to make 29 off 13 balls, with her innings helping RCB move past the 100-run mark.
Isabelle Wong (2/26) claimed two late wickets.
RCB thus ended their campaign with six defeats and two wins against their name.
With PTI Inputs
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