In their Women’s Premier League encounter in Navi Mumbai on Saturday, the reigning champions Mumbai Indians defeated Delhi Capitals by 50 runs as pacer Nicola Carey went through the middle order and Nat Sciver-Brunt and Harmanpreet Kaur hammered undefeated half-centuries.
Following a last-ball loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, Sciver-Brunt hammered a 46-ball 70, while Harmanpreet, reeling from that setback, smashed an undefeated 74 off 42 balls as the Mumbai Indians put up a valiant 195 for 4.
Delhi Capitals were reduced to 33 for 3 by Carey’s (3/37) three-wicket haul in the middle overs, which included the crucial dismissals of hard-hitter Shafali Verma (8) and Laura Wolvaardt (9) in the fifth over. This collapse quickly deteriorated to 46 for 5 in the seventh over. Despite Chinelle Henry’s rearguard 56 off 33 balls, DC eventually collapsed for 145 in 19 overs.
Amelia Kerr recorded statistics of 3/24 with the ball after underperforming with the bat, while England mainstay Sciver-Brunt contributed two crucial wickets after her outstanding effort with the bat, conceding 29 runs.
The 33-year-old all-rounder Sciver-Brunt burst back into form the day after a poor performance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, slamming 13 boundaries in a fluid 46-ball 70.
The defending champions’ innings was powered by Sciver-Brunt, who scored four runs against RCB on Friday, and captain Harmanpreet, who was similarly aggressive, hitting three sixes and eight boundaries.
After starter Amelia Kerr’s first-ball duck, the pair’s 66-run partnership for the third wicket became the cornerstone of MI’s competitive total, stabilizing the innings.
Kerr’s problems persisted as she edged a ball that was drifting away from her behind to Lizelle Lee after being trapped off an unnecessarily expansive shot.
But Sciver-Brunt swiftly reversed the situation. With ten runs in the second over and two more boundaries in the fourth, she targeted West Indian bowler Chinelle Henry.
The Mumbai innings was stabilized by Sciver-Brunt’s 49-run partnership with opener Gunalan Kamalini. After hitting two boundaries in the seventh over in an attempt to build on the momentum, Kamalini was caught behind when young right-arm pacer Nandani Sharma of the Delhi Capitals came around the wicket and enticed her with an almost wide yorker.
Sciver-Brunt continued to dominate despite Kamalini’s dismissal; Harmanpreet made sure she held the strike as she reached her half-century off just 32 balls.
DC off-spinner Sneh Rana discovered this the hard way in the tenth over, giving up two boundaries, as the England mainstay punished everything short of a length.
The assault persisted until Sciver-Brunt was removed by DC captain Jemimah Rodrigues off Shree Charani’s bowling. Then Harmanpreet assumed command.
