Mumbai Indians dominate again to maintain unbeaten record

Harmanpreet Kaur and Nat Sciver-Brunt shared an unbroken 106-run partnership to take Mumbai Indians past UP Warriorz for a fourth straight win

Nick Friend | 12/03/2023 at 17:22

Mumbai: UP Warriorz 159-6, Mumbai Indians 164-2 - Mumbai Indians win by eight wickets

Mumbai Indians maintained their perfect record in the inaugural Women's Premier League as they beat UP Warriorz to rack up a fourth straight win.

Harmanpreet Kaur's side were always in control other than when Australian duo Alyssa Healy (58) and Tahlia McGrath (50) were putting together an 82-run stand in the first innings.

Otherwise, Charlotte Edwards' side were clinical, chasing down a 160-run target with relative ease thanks to their star-studded top four that continues to dominate this competition.

Yastika Bhatia made 42 before falling in just the seventh over, with Hayley Matthews departing three balls later with the score 58 for 2. But Kaur (53*) and Sciver-Brunt (45*) took up the mantle from there, seeing off the central threat of Sophie Ecclestone and taking the game away from Warriorz in an unbroken 106-run partnership.

Ecclestone missed a half-chance to catch Sciver-Brunt, getting one hand to a crunching extra-cover drive, while Kaur was fortunate to survive when Anjani Sarvani appeared to bowl her round her legs only for the bails not to dislodge.

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^{Tahlia McGrath made fifty for UP Warriorz (Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)}

Matthews had earlier survived an lbw review in curious fashion after initially being given out by the third umpire, who appeared to be watching footage from a different delivery. When players on both sides seemed to make the same point to the on-field officials, the review was reviewed and Matthews was reprieved, at least until chipping a caught-and-bowled back to Ecclestone.

That was as much trouble as MI found themselves in, with Kaur and Sciver-Brunt forming a brutal engine room, mixing off-side class with legside power.

In the first over after a strategy timeout with five overs remaining, Kaur took McGrath for 19 runs as she stamped her authority, allowing Mumbai to ease home with 15 balls remaining, Sciver-Brunt pulling Shabnim Ismail over midwicket for six to crown a comprehensive victory.

Earlier, uncapped Indian spinner Saika Ishaque had starred once again, taking the wickets of Healy, McGrath and Devika Yaidya as Warriorz wasted the platform built for them by their Australian pair.

From 140 for 2 in the seventeenth over, they could only reach 159 for 6, with Kiran Navgire the only other UP batter to reach double figures.