Nat Sciver's 72, Wong's hat-trick guide MI to 72-run win over UP
NAVI MUMBAI: Had it not been for Nat Sciver-Brunt's lead act, Mumbai Indians would have struggled to post 182 for four in the eliminator. Then an Issy Wong hat-trick - the first of the Women's Premier League (WPL) - made sure the target eventually proved too steep for UP Warriorz to scale.
In the end, MI raced to a comfortable 72-run win in front of the almost full DY Patil Stadium on Friday to reach the final where they will face table-toppers Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium on Sunday.
The course of the match could have shifted in Warriorz's favour had Sophie Ecclestone not dropped her England compatriot at mid-off in the sixth over off the bowling of Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Sciver-Brunt was on six at that time, MI were at 45 for one, and the England all-rounder made full use of the reprieve by punishing the Warriorz with her unbeaten knock of 72 from 38 balls which came at a strike-rate of 189.47 with the help of nine fours and two sixes.
1/10:WPL: Mumbai Indians win against UP Warriorz, set up final clash against Delhi Capitals
AFP
2/10:Mumbai Indians beat UP Warriorz
<p>Mumbai Indians trounced UP Warriorz by 72 runs in the Eliminator of the inaugural Women's Premier League in Mumbai on Friday. </p>IANS
3/10:Issy Wong
<p>Nat Sciver-Brunt smashed an unbeaten 38-ball 72 to propel Mumbai to 182/4 before Issy Wong claimed 4/15, that included the tournament's first hat-trick. </p>TNN
4/10:The toss
<p>Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy won the toss and asked Mumbai to bat first. </p>Getty Images
5/10:Mumbai openers
<p>Warriorz started well after dismissing both Mumbai openers -- Yastika Bhatia (21) and Hayley Matthews (26). </p>AFP
6/10:Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur
<p>But Warriorz couldn't dismiss Sciver-Brunt, who took the score past 100 in a partnership with Harmanpreet Kaur (14).</p>AFP
7/10:Brunt and Amelia Kerr
<p>Brunt unleashed her power hitting, after Kaur's dismissal, with Amelia Kerr, who hit a 19-ball 29.</p>AFP
8/10:Pooja Vastrakar
<p>A four-ball 11 cameo by Pooja Vastrakar pushed Mumbai to an above-par 182.</p>AFP
9/10:Sophie Ecclestone
<p>Sophie Ecclestone was the Warriorz' most effective bowler and finished her four-over spell with 2-39.</p>AFP
10/10:Warriorz failure
<p>Warriorz thus failed to check Mumbai's second-half batting flourish before being bundled out for just 110 in the 18th over. </p>AFPPumped up by a whirlwind finish to their innings, MI bowlers had virtually sealed the match in the first eight overs when they reduced Warriorz to 56 for four. With their top-scorers - Alyssa Healy (11), Tahlia McGrath (7) and Grace Harris (14) - back in the pavilion during that period, Warriorz had no chance of mounting a comeback against a MI bowling line-up which has never failed in the tournament when their tails have been up.
Kiran Navgire (43, 27b; 4x4, 3x6) tried her best to keep the Warriorz afloat with some huge blows but Wong's hat-trick stopped their lower-order from mounting a comeback.
Navgire was looking to take on MI bowlers and to some extent she was successful. Sniffing the danger, Harmanpreet brought Wong back into action in the 13th over and it paid off. Wong, who had dismissed Healy in the third over, got Navgire off a full toss which she hit straight to Sciver-Brunt at the mid-wicket boundary. Brunt was in the thick of action throughout the match, having also contributed with the ball when she dismissed Harris. 20-year-old Wong then castled Smiran Shaikh (0) and Ecclestone (0) to finish with figures of four for 15. Eventually, Warriorz's innings folded at 110 in 17.4 overs.
Earlier, MI were 104 for three when skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (14, 15b; 1x4) departed and the match was slightly tilting in Warriorz's favour who till that point had bowled well despite committing multiple blunders in the field.
But a 37-ball 60 run partnership between Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr (29, 19b; 5x4) gave MI innings the much-needed push in the death overs.
