Mumbai Indians (Harmanpreet 95*, Bhatia 49) beat Gujarat Giants 190 for 7 (Hemalatha 74, Mooney 66, Ishaque 2-31) by seven wickets
She launched into quick bowlers Meghna Singh and Shabnam MD, after which took 24 off a Sneh Rana over as Mumbai hunted down Gujarat Giants’ 190 for 7 to guide a playoffs spot for the second successive season. Harmanpreet modified gears on a click on of a button and, from 20 off 21, rocketed to complete unbeaten 95 off simply 48 balls as Mumbai recorded the very best profitable run-chase within the WPL.
Final six overs – the distinction
On the again of a robust platform laid by Mooney and Hemalatha, Giants had been set to breach the 200-run mark, with the Mumbai bowlers struggling to seek out their traces and lengths. They had been positioned at 150 for two with Hemalatha set and Phoebe Litchfield becoming a member of her. Whereas hits got here from Hemalatha, Mumbai managed to claw again from the opposite finish. They gave away ten or extra in an over solely 3 times from that time, whereas usually selecting up wickets. The outcome? Giants might handle solely 40 for five within the final six.
In distinction, Harmanpreet’s blitzkrieg put Giants’ bowlers, who had a superb maintain over the chase, off. Solely twice did they handle to maintain Mumbai to underneath ten an over within the final six overs. Mumbai raked up 91 in simply 35 balls, because of this, and dashed Giants’ hopes.
Harmanpreet’s duel with Rana was fascinating. For lengthy, the offspinner denied her India captain any room to swing by means of or free her arms. However with 70 wanted off 26, Harmanpreet tried to take the aerial route and lofted one straight to long-on, the place Litchfield dropped a sitter and gave away 4. With 47 wanted off 18 by the point Rana returned for her final over, Harmanpreet’s confidence was sky excessive. And each Giants and Rana paid the worth with an over the place she hit two sixes and three fours to all however seal the deal.
Bhatia leaves her stamp within the chase
When younger Shabnam, who was a part of India’s win within the inaugural Beneath-19 Girls’s T20 World Cup final 12 months, dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt cheaply within the eighth over, Mumbai’s chase was over for all cash.
However Bhatia stored discovering the gaps and moved the scoreboard alongside. She used her toes towards Rana, who was assorted her flight and contours. She drilled one by means of covers earlier than lofting her straight over the non-striker’s head in her subsequent. However on 49, she top-edged Ashleigh Gardner to go away the sport on tenterhooks.
Mooney stamps her class
After 4 losses within the Bengaluru leg, Mooney had bemoaned the shortage of runs from her bat. And she or he responded with back-to-back fifties, after shedding Laura Wolvaardt early. She used the tempo Matthews provided her to glide one between brief third and backward level to get off the mark. Shabnim Ismail’s tempo solely helped her rating rapidly – she made room to carve one over covers earlier than punching one straight again within the powerplay. She used the brief sq. boundaries on one aspect – they had been 63m and 46m – to her benefit and by no means let the scoring fee dip.
Mooney shows a number of qualities that irks oppositions – discovering boundaries at will, rotating strike that doesn’t enable bowlers to settle, and compounding issues for the captain. The hazard ranges peaked when she scooped Pooja Vastrakar to 2 sixes over high quality leg within the area of 4 balls. The Mumbai quick bowler dug each these deliveries on a size – one in line of the stumps, one angling away – however each met with the identical destiny. After a 140-run opening stand with Wolvaardt within the earlier recreation, she added 121 for the second wicket with Hemalatha. Until she was dismissed – chopping on part-time offspinner S Sajana onto the stumps – she regarded fairly unstoppable.
Hemalatha exhibits her mettle
After Matthews struck within the third over, Hemalatha was promoted to No. 3 and she or he obtained going instantly. She performed a lofted cowl drive off Saika Ishaque on her fifth ball after which went full tilt in Amelia Kerr’s first over. She welcomed the legspinner with a drive over covers earlier than dancing right down to thump her straight over. When Kerr went good size, Hemalatha went deep in her crease and lower her by means of level.
Hemalatha was additionally equally adept towards tempo on the evening. She was unafraid to provide Vastrakar the cost and tackle the pull towards her in addition to Ismail. She additionally introduced out the ramp towards the bumpers from Ismail as she raced to a 28-ball half-century, her first of WPL 2024. She continued her assault even after Mooney’s dismissal earlier than mistiming a loft straight to cowl.
Mumbai reined Giants in with a tidy end on the loss of life, giving freely simply 30 runs within the final 4 overs and selecting up three wickets. That proved to be a successful effort, in hindsight.
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7
