WPL: Nat Sciver-Brunt, Issy Wong drive Mumbai to tournament final

Mumbai Indians will meet Delhi Capitals in the showpiece clash of the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League after Harmanpreet Kaur’s side battered UP Warriroz in a one-sided contest. It was the English duo of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Issy Wong, who shone brightly for the Mumbai Indians in the decisive clash.

Chasing a challenging total, UP Warriorz got off to a troublesome start after Shweta Sehrawat was dismissed for a solitary run to her name. It got from bad to worse for Warriorz as skipper Alyssa Healy was sent packing in the very next over by Issy Wong.

Tahlia McGrath’s suicidal run made for an abysmal powerplay for the chasing side. Mumbai’s Nat Sciver-Brunt, who played a sizzling innings with the bat, grabbed the prized wicket of Grace Harris to assert her side’s dominance in the contest.

However, the hard-hitting Kiran Navgire kept her team in the hunt after going berserk against the slower bowlers. But her demise in the 13th over pretty much ended UP’s hopes of making it to the final of the WPL. Wong, who brought an end to Navgire’s assault on the second ball of the over, cleaned up Simran Shaikh and Sophie Ecclestone to grab a sensational hat trick, the first in the history of the competition.

It was a cakewalk for Harmanpreet Kaur’s side from thereon as UP’s innings crashed and burned in the space of just three deliveries. Mumbai Indians sealed their spot in the final after winning the game by a comprehensive margin of 72 runs.

Nat Sciver-Brunt propel Mumbai Indians to a challenging total

UP Warriorz’s skipper Alyssa Healy, who celebrated her 33rd birthday earlier in the day, won the toss and elected to bowl first in front of a vociferous crowd at the DY Patil Stadium. Mumbai Indians got off to a decent start after a bright opening stand between Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews.

But the young Indian wicketkeeper-batter fell after trying to up the ante in the fifth over of the match. Matthews, who was handed a reprieve after a controversial call by the third umpire, departed after a handy stand for the second wicket. While Nat Sciver-Brunt, who was dropped by Sophie Ecclestone for six, was going great guns from the other end, skipper Harmanpreet Kaur struggled with timing from the other end.

The Indian skipper eventually fell in the 13th over as UP Warriorz started to dominate the proceedings. That is when Nat Sciver found an able partner in young all-rounder Amelia Kerr. The duo added 60 runs in just over six overs as the English all-rounder registered an explosive half-century to propel Mumbai Indians to an above-par total of 182 runs in their 20 overs.