Superb all-round performance by Amelia Kerr (4-17 & 31) and superb bowling by medium-pacer Shabnim Ismail (3-18) helped Mumbai Indians Women beat Gujarat Giants Women by five wickets with 11 balls to spare in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2024 at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Sunday.
Electing to field first, Mumbai Indians found success in the first over itself as Shabnim Ismail trapped the experienced Veda Krishnamurthy for a duck off the fourth delivery of the opening over. From 3/1, Gujarat Giants kept losing wickets at regular intervals and could manage only 126/9 in their allotted 20 overs.
Tanuja Kanwar (28), Kathryn Bryce (25 not out) and skipper Beth Mooney (24) were the main scorers for Gujarat. Kerr removed Ashleigh Gardner for 19 with a carrot outside the off-stump, castled Sneh Rana for zero with a well-disguised wrong ‘un and also sent back Kanwar and Lea Tahuhu for a four-wicket haul.
Chasing 127 to win their second match in the event, defending champions Mumbai Indians, who started the WPL 2024 with a thrilling victory against Delhi Capital on the opening night, rode on an unbeaten 46 by skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and a 31 off 25 balls by Kerr to reach 129/5 in 18.1 overs.
It was a comfortable victory over Mumbai Indians though they had some anxious moments at the start losing openers Yastika Bhatia and Hayley Matthews for seven apiece to slip to 21/2. It was 49/3 in the eighth over when Nat Sciver-Brunt (22) was run out, going for a very tight single. Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr raised 66 runs for the fourth wicket partnership to put them on course to victory.
Brief scores:
Gujarat Giants 126/9 in 20 overs (Tanuja Kanwar 28; Amelia Kerr 4-17, Shabnim Ismail 3-18) lost to Mumbai Indians 129/5 in 18.1 overs (Harmanpreet Kaur 46 not out, Amelia Kerr 31; Tanuja Kanwar 2-21) by five wickets.
