BENGALURU, India, CMC – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews regained her batting groove. Still, her resolute half-century failed to inspire Mumbai Indians Women, and Uttar Pradesh Warriorz Women beat them by seven wickets in the Women’s Premier League Twenty20 on Wednesday in India.
The 25-year-old Barbadian all-rounder cracked nine fours and one six in a top score of 55 from 47 balls and was the rock upon which MI built their total of 161 for six from their allocation of 20 overs after they were put in to bat at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
But Matthews leaked 32 runs in her allotted four overs without taking a wicket with her off-spin when her side took the field, and consistent batting down the order led by a power-packed 57 from Kiran Navgire cantered to victory with 21 balls remaining.
Navgire set the tone for the chase with her knock that included six fours and four sixes from 31 balls and shared 94 for the first wicket with her captain, Alyssa Healy, whose 33 off 29 balls included five fours.
Fellow Australian Grace Harris, not out on 38, and India international Deepti Sharma, not out on 27, then provided the finishing touches after a slight stutter to take the Warriorz over the finish line.
Warriors cruised to 61 without loss, the highest Power Play total of the tournament so far, but MI missed a chance to break the stand in the eighth over when Issy Wong put down a tough chance at long-off to give Navgire a reprieve when on 42.
New Zealander Amelia Kerr got Navgire stumped in the 10th over before Wong made up for her indiscretion in the field with the Australian pair of Tahlia Grant wickets for one and Healy in the 11th.
Harris and Sharma then got together, steadied the ship, brought some calm amid chaos, and played some cracking shots to take Warriorz over the finish line with an unbroken stand of 65 for the fourth wicket.
Earlier, Matthews survived a scare when she was convicted and caught behind for six in the fourth over, but she decided to review the decision, and it was overturned because there was no bat involved in the dismissal.
MI were 36 without loss at the end of the Power Play, and Matthews enjoyed further good fortune in the next over when Poonam Khemnar dropped a tough chance at deep cover off Harris. Still, the bowler got rewarded two balls later when she got Bhatia caught at short mid-wicket for 26.
MI were 71 for one at the halfway mark, and Matthews got lucky again in the 12th over when Sharma dropped her on 43 off a tough chance before she was involved in a colossal mix-up that led to the run out of her captain and England international Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Matthews brought up her half-century off 44 balls before she fell at a critical stage, leaving Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, and Wong to make small contributions towards a respectable total.
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