Last Updated: March 18, 2023, 7:20 PM IST
Sophie Ecclestone took three wickets before hitting the match-winning six in the last over. (WPL Photo)
Mumbai Indians dropped as many as three catches and one of them proved costly as UP Warriorz won by wickets
UP Warriorz ended Mumbai Indians’ unbeaten run in the inaugural season of the Women’s Premier League with a thrilling five-wicket win at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday. Chasing 128, the match went down to the wire with Sophie Ecclestone hitting a six to take her team over the line.
UPW twice slipped in the chase after Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath had put them in strong positions. Harris made 39 off 28 while McGrath struck 38 off 25.
The dismissals kept MI’s hopes of keeping their winning streak alive but they simply didn’t have enough runs to defend. However, the table-toppers did start well by getting rid of UPW’s top-three cheaply with captain Harmanpreet Kaur taking a stunning one-handed catch in the second over, bowled by Hayley Matthews, to get rid of opener Devika Vaidya on 1.
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MI were also guilty of sloppy fielding as they dropped as many as three catches that could have put UPW under immense pressure early on. Thankfully for MI, the beneficiaries – Alyssa Healy (8) and Kiran Navgire (12) – failed to capitalise on the chances.
However, the third beneficiary Mcgrath made them pay after wicketkeeper Yastika Bhatia dropped a regulation catch that, if taken, would have sent her back on a golden duck.
This was after star left-arm spinner Ecclestone (3/15) led the way with her excellent bowling as to bowl out Mumbai Indians for 127. Had it not been for Issy Wong’s 19-ball 32, MI would have ended with much less than what they eventually got.
After their skipper Healy opted to field first, the UPW bowlers did a commendable job to keep things tight against the strong and in-form Mumbai batting line-up.
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MI were 56 for two at the end of the 10th over with Hayley Matthews (35) and captain Harmanpreet (25) looking to build a partnership after the departure of Bhatia (5) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (7).
However, both Hayley and Kaur got out after getting starts, the India captain falling to compatriot Deepti Sharma after the former was done in by the seasoned Ecclestone.
Amelia Kerr (3) lasted just five balls before being sent back by Rajeshwari Gayakwad, as the Warriorz reduced MI to 78 for five at the start of the 14th over.
Amanjot Kaur, too, failed to make an impression with the bat as she also fell to the wily Ecclestone, who had by then picked up three wickets in as many overs.
While Ecclestone did bulk of the damage, the others supported her well and made MI work hard for every run. India player Gayakwad also had a good outing, returning with fine figures of two for 16 from her full quota of four overs.
Deepti finished with figures of 2/34. While MI fielded the same XI in the match, UP decided to include young Parshavi Chopra in place of Shweta Sehrawat.
With PTI Inputs
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