Inspirational Matthews powers Mumbai to title
MUMBAI, India (CMC) – All-rounder Hayley Matthews grabbed three wickets to finish with Player of the Series honours as Mumbai Indians brushed aside Delhi Capitals by seven wickets to clinch the inaugural Women’s Premier League title on Sunday.
Playing in the final at Brabourne Stadium, the West Indies captain snatched three for five in a brilliant four-over spell of off-spin to restrict Delhi to 131 for nine from their 20 overs, Captain Meg Lanning top-scoring with 35 and Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav chipping in with 27 each.
In reply, Matthews was one of two to fall cheaply, dismissed for 13 in the fourth over, but Nat Sciver-Brunt struck an unbeaten 60 from 55 deliveries to guide her side over the line with three balls to spare.
They required five runs to win from the final over and Sciver-Brunt fittingly got the winning runs, scooping a full toss behind for four.
Opting to bat first, Delhi were in early trouble at 35 for three in the fourth over before Lanning led a recovery in a 38-run, fourth-wicket stand with South African Marizanne Kapp (18).
Kapp’s dismissal in the 11th over opened the floodgates and Delhi lost six wickets for six runs in a stunning 34-ball collapse, tottering on 79 for nine at the end of the 16th.
Matthews was brilliant during this period. She claimed her first wicket in the 14th over, diving to her right to pouch a return catch and dismiss Jess Jonassen (2) before beating Minnu Mani in flight and having her stumped for one in her next over.
Two balls later she bowled number 10 Taniya Bhatia through the gate.
It was then left to Shikha and Radha to salvage the innings in an unbroken, last-wicket stand of 52.
Matthews’ fortune with the bat eventually deserted her, however, the 24-year-old miscuing to midwicket to leave Mumbai on 23 for two.
However, Sciver-Brunt struck seven fours to first inspire a 72-run, third-wicket stand with Harmanpreet Kaur (37), and then a 39-run, unbroken, fourth-wicket partnership with Amelia Kerr (14 not out) as Delhi got home easily in the end.