MUMBAI: Compared to what she usually delivers, Harmanpreet Kaur has been sedate in this Women's Premier League (WPL). On Monday, the Mumbai Indians' (MI) skipper brought all her experience into play with the bat and then marshalled her resources well to guide MI past Gujarat Giants to keep alive their hopes of a direct spot in the final.
MI moved to second in the standings with 10 points and will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the final group game on Tuesday. Giants will now wait for their opponents in Thursday’s eliminator. A win for MI will push Delhi Capitals to second position, while a defeat means the top spot will be decided on net run-rate.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Harmanpreet’s second half-century of the season — a 33-ball 54 laced with nine fours — helped MI post 179 for six. Later, MI bowlers stifled the Giants’ batting line-up and picked up wickets at regular intervals to guide them to a nine-run win at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday.
Hayley Mathews started the Giants’ slide by dismissing Beth Mooney off the first ball she delivered when she had the Aussie caught at extra cover. Thereafter, whenever Giants’ batters tried to up the ante, the MI bowlers managed to pin them.
Harleen Deol (24, 15b; 5x4) was looking good, but her enterprising innings was cut short when she was trapped leg-before by Amelia Kerr (3/34). Aussie left-hander Phoebe Litchfield (22, 16; 4x4) was bowled by the ever-accurate Shabnim Ismail (2/17), which reduced Giants to 70 for five.
It looked like Giants were done and dusted, but Bharti Fulmali’s 25-ball 61 — with the help of eight fours and four sixes — gave the Giants hope of mounting a comeback. However, leggie Kerr got rid of her to settle the nerves in the MI camp.
Earlier, when Nat-Sciver Brunt was back in the pavilion with MI’s score on 105/3 in the 14th over, there were doubts about who would guide them to a total their bowlers would be comfortable defending. With more than six overs to go, Harmanpreet dug deep and, along with lower-order batters, guided MI to a comfortable total.
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 179 for 6 (Harmanpreet 54; Mishra 1-23) beat Gujarat Giants 170 for 9 (Fulmali 61; Kerr 3-34) by nine runs
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