Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched a dominant victory, propelled by Amelia Kerr’s impressive five-wicket haul and Hayley Matthews’ explosive half-century. This win elevates MI to the second position in the league standings. While MI hasn’t officially qualified for the next round, they now hold eight points, trailing leaders Delhi Capitals by just two points, although Delhi has played one more match. Conversely, UP Warriorz remain at the bottom of the table and now depend on favorable outcomes from other matches to have any chance of advancing.
In a crucial match, UP Warriorz initially showed promise but faltered in the latter half of their innings, culminating in a modest score of 150/9. MI successfully chased down this target with nine balls remaining.
Hayley Matthews began her innings with a new opening partner, Amelia Kerr, who has limited experience as an opener in T20 cricket. Kerr started aggressively, hitting boundaries, but was soon dismissed for 10 runs. Nat Sciver-Brunt continued her exceptional form this season, surpassing 300 runs at a strike rate nearing 150. She and Matthews forged a significant 92-run partnership for the second wicket, effectively taking the game away from UP Warriorz. This is the second instance this season where this duo has tormented the Warriorz, previously adding 133 runs in an earlier encounter.
While Sciver-Brunt maintained her consistency, Matthews rediscovered her form after a series of less impactful performances. She executed powerful cuts and pulls against various bowlers during the PowerPlay. Together, they even managed to score 16 runs off one over from Gouher Sultana, a left-arm spinner. By the innings’ midpoint, MI had already scored 91/1 in 10 overs, achieving more than half of the required target.
Matthews reached her half-century in just 35 balls with another cut shot. Sciver-Brunt continued her aggressive batting before being dismissed. Shortly after, Matthews was also dismissed for 68 runs off 48 balls. Although Harmanpreet Kaur was dismissed cheaply, Amanjot Kaur and Yastika Bhatia ensured MI crossed the finish line.
Earlier in the match, UP Warriorz had a promising start, benefiting from promoting Georgia Voll to open the innings. Voll scored a rapid half-century and partnered with Grace Harris for a 74-run opening stand. However, despite reaching 89/2 in 10 overs, their momentum shifted dramatically.
The turning point came when Sciver-Brunt dismissed Voll, triggering a collapse. Amelia Kerr then took control, claiming two wickets in the 15th over. Matthews also contributed with a wicket, and UPW quickly declined to 125/7. Sophie Ecclestone attempted to accelerate the scoring, but Kerr secured another double-wicket over, finishing with 5 wickets for 38 runs and restricting UPW to 150/9. In their final 10 overs, UPW managed only 61/7, resulting in an insufficient total.
Match Summary: UP Warriorz scored 150/9 in 20 overs (Georgia Voll 55, Grace Harris 28; Amelia Kerr 5-38, Hayley Matthews 2-25) and lost to Mumbai Indians who scored 153/4 in 18.3 overs (Hayley Matthews 68, Nat Sciver-Brunt 37; Grace Harris 2-11) by 6 wickets.
