Key Points
Sciver-Brunt blasts 75* and takes three crucial wickets
Matthews provides solid support in dominant chase
UP Warriorz collapse after promising start
Mumbai Indians claim top spot in WPL table
After an inspirational performance with the ball, Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt staged a dominant victory for Mumbai Indians. MI opener Yastika Bhatia's dry spell continued with the bat after Deepti Sharma sent her back for an eight-ball duck.
After Yastika's return, MI's chase was fuelled by Sciver-Brunt and Matthews. They began their partnership with caution as MI crawled to 18 runs in the first five overs.
Sciver-Brunt decided to break the shackles with a hat-trick of fours and invited Matthews to join the party. MI reached 65/1 at the halfway mark in no time as the duo shifted through gears.
They continued to press the accelerator, scoring another 50 runs in the next five overs. Sciver-Brunt brought up her third fifty of the ongoing season in the process en route to 75* from 44 deliveries.
Matthews also celebrated her first fifty of the season but couldn't stay till the end to see off the game. Sciver-Brunt stayed till the end and ensured MI sealed the chase with an eight-wicket win and three overs to spare.
Earlier in the match, after being put to bat, Grace Harris (45) and Vrinda Dinesh (33) waged a war while the rest of the batters failed to leave a mark in the game.
After Kiran Navgire's trip to the dressing room was punched by Sciver-Brunt for a score of 1(3), Harris and Vrinda established the sinking ship.
They raised a valuable 79-run partnership for the second wicket, but things went downhill once the stand ended. From 81/2 in 9.2 overs, UP Warriroz could only add 61 runs in the next half and limped to 142/9.
Sciver-Brunt, with her clinical three-wicket haul, kept the UP Warriorz batters silent. On the other hand, Sanskriti Gupta dealt crucial blows in the middle and returned with figures of 2/11.
