WPL 2023: UPW bear the Brunt and ’tricked by MI’s Wong

MI’s Nat Sciver-Brunt en route her 72 not out v UPW at DY Patil yesterday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Riding on Nat Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 38-ball 72, Mumbai Indians (MI) smashed a competitive 182-4 against UP Warriorz (UPW) in the Eliminator of the Women's Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium here on Friday.

At the time of going to press, UPW's boat was rocking at 94-8 after 13.5 overs thanks to the tournament's first hat-trick by MI pacer Issy Wong in the 13th over.

Earlier, MI's wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia (21 off 18) led the charge in the opening overs. Bhatia cracked four fours in the first three overs before being dismissed in the fifth by left-arm pacer Anjali Sarvani (1-17).

UPW continued with their clear plan of exploiting the turn that has been on offer throughout this tournament as they bowled five spinners in the innings and spin it was all the way after the eighth over. The plan was successful to begin with as UPW claimed opener Hayley Matthews (26 off 26) through leg-spinner Parshavi Chopra (1-25) in the 10th over with the score reading 69-2. And later, Purple Cap holder and left-arm spinner Sophie Ecclestone (2-39) got the big wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur (14) in the 13th over.

Also read: Mumbai Indians defeat UP Warriorz by 72 runs, set up WPL final against Delhi

Nat Sciver-Brunt (72 not out off 38 balls, 9x4, 2x6), who was dropped by Ecclestone on six, kept MI afloat. She reached her second half-century of the
tournament off just 26 balls in the 16th over, with a boundary. The onslaught continued as Amelia Kerr (29 off 19) joined the party.

The duo scored 60 runs off just 37 balls to take MI to 164-3 before Kerr was dismissed by Ecclestone at the end of the 19th over.

A six and a four from Pooja Vastrakar (11 not out off four) and a six off the last ball from Sciver-Brunt took MI over the 180-run mark.