Another quiet day for Matthews, but Kaur leads MI Women to victory

DELHI – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews played a minor role in a thrilling seven-wicket win off the penultimate ball for Mumbai Indians Women against Gujarat Giants Women in the Women’s Premier League on Saturday in India.

The 25-year-old Barbadian all-rounder opened the bowling for MI Women and ended with one for 22 from three overs with her off-spin, and the Giants reached 190 for seven from their 20 overs at the AJ Stadium after they won the toss and decided to bat.

She then made only 18, but she shared a half-century opening stand with Yastika Bhatia to set the chase in motion for the MI Women before their captain Harmanpreet Kaur anchored them to the finish line with an undefeated 95.

Matthews, whose form has been patchy in the tournament, struck four fours from 21 balls, but she kept her composure and carried MI Women to exactly 50 at the close of the Power Play before Tanuja Kanwar got her caught at deep mid-wicket in the next over.

MI Women lost England international Nat Sciver-Brunt for two in the next over, and they were 98 for three in the 14th over when Australia Women’s off-spinner Ashleigh Gardner held a return catch to dismiss Bhatia.

Kaur came to the crease, and she dominated the rest of the way, sharing an unbroken stand of 93 for the fourth wicket with New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr, whose contribution to the partnership was a mere 12 not out.

MI Women required 13 from the final over, bowled by Garnder, and Kaur obliged when she smashed a six and a four off the first two balls before scrambling singles with Kerr off the next three deliveries to formalise the result with one ball remaining.

Earlier, MI Women controlled the flow of the match on either side of a 121-run stand for the second wicket between Dayalan Hemalatha and her captain, Australia Women’s opener Beth Mooney.

Hemalatha hit nine fours and two sixes in the top score of 74, and Mooney made 66 off 35 balls that included eight fours and three sixes.

There was little substance from the rest of the batting after Sajeevan Sanjana bowled Mooney in the 14th over.

CMC