Mumbai overcome Matthews failure to beat Warriorz

DELHI, India (CMC):

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews failed with the bat but produced a controlled spell with the ball to help earn Mumbai Indians a comfortable 42-run victory over UP Warriorz in the Women’s Premier League here yesterday.

Choosing to bat first at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Mumbai rallied to 160 for six from their 20 overs, Nat Sciver-Brunt top-scoring with 45 from 31 deliveries, Amelia Kerry chipping in with 39 from 23 balls, and captain Harmanpreet Kaur supporting with 33 from 30 balls.

The right-handed Matthews perished for just four, falling cheaply along with opening partner Yastika Bhatia (9), as Mumbai slipped to 17 for two in the fourth over.

However, Sciver-Brunt put on 59 for the third wicket with Harmanpreet, who then added a further 28 for the fourth wicket with Kerr.

When two quick wickets fell to leave Mumbai stumbling on 117 for five in the 16th, Kerr posted 43 in an unbroken sixth wicket stand with Sajeevan Sajana (22 not out) to provide energy at the back end.

In reply, Deepti Sharma top-scored with an unbeaten 53 off 36 balls, with half-dozen fours and two sixes, but Warriorz collapsed to 118 for nine from their 20 overs.

They were 15 for three at the start of the fifth over, off-spinner Matthews taking one of the wickets to fall when she had Chamari Athapaththu taken at extra cover for only three.

Deepti tried to rescue the chase, first in a 26-run, fourth-wicket stand with Grace Harris (15) and then in a 37-run, eighth-wicket partnership with Uma Chetry (8), but left-arm spinner Saika Ishaque (3-27) and medium pacer Sciver-Brunt (2-14) struck telling blows to keep the innings in check.