Matthews fires Mumbai to second straight win

West Indies Women’s Captain Hayley Matthews produced a Player-of- the-Match performance with an unbeaten half-century and three wickets, as Mumbai Indians yet again flaunted their strength in a dominant nine-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore, recently.

Playing in their second game of the Women’s Premier League at Barbourne Stadium, Mumbai chased down a target of 156 with nearly six overs to spare, the right-handed Matthews spearheading her team’s success with a suburb 77 not out off 38 balls.

England’s all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt struck an unbeaten 55 from 29 deliveries, combining with Matthews in a 114-run, unbroken second wicket stand to hand Mumbai their second win following their 143-run crushing in of Gujarat Giants.

Matthews had earlier claimed three for 28 from four overs of off-spin as RCB were bowled out for 155 in the penultimate over, after choosing to bat first.

Four partnerships kept the innings ticking. Firstly, Madhana put on 39 for the first wicket with Sophie Devine (16) before Gosh combined with Ellyse Perry(13) in a 28-run, fifth wicket stand, after four wickets had tumbled for four runs in eight balls thanks to a double strike from Matthews in the sixth over.

Gosh, who struck three fours and a six off 26 balls, added 34 for the sixth wicket with Ahuja and when both fell in the space of seven balls in successive overs, Shreyanka and Megan Schutt (20) came together in another 34-run stand for the eight wicket, to aid RCB’s recovery.

Mumbai started positively in reply, Matthews pummeling 13 fours and a six as she put on 45 with Yastika Bhatia (23) before partnering with Sciver-Brunt to take Mumbai safely to their target.