Match Highlights
After winning the toss, GG elected to bat first and amassed 190/7 thanks to strong innings from Dayalan Hemalatha (74 off 40) and Beth Mooney (66 off 35). MI, on the other hand, managed to chase the target in 19.5 overs thanks to a spectacular 95* off 48 balls from captain Harmanpreet Kaur. The Mumbai Indians advanced to the top of the WPL 2024 standings and, more significantly, earned a postseason berth with the victory. Harmanpreet Kaur was awarded player of the match for her match winning knock.
Harman and Yastika played good knocks
Yastika Bhatia (49 off 36) and Hayley Matthews (18) contributed 50 in 6.3 overs to give MI a strong start in the chase. But the latter, misjudging a big hit attempt, lost his life to Tanuja Kanwar. After Nat Sciver-Brunt fell for two, Shabnam Md Shakil was chipped to mid-on. When Bhatia top-edged a length ball from Ashleigh Gardner, the bowler herself took the catch and raced towards midwicket, falling just short of a well-earned fifty.
With an amazing performance of stroke play, Harmanpreet then managed to get Mumbai over the finish line by herself. In the fifteenth over, she hit Meghna Singh for two fours and a six, but the chasing team still needed seventy-two off the final five overs. Sneh Rana’s 18th over, which yielded 24 runs, turned out to be a huge one. Harmanpreet hitting the bowling for three fours and two sixes. The final over that Gardner bowled had the equation down to 13. The opening ball of the over was hit for a 90-meter six, while the second delivery was hit for four over the cover. On the penultimate delivery, a sweep to short fine leg produced the winning run. Having the finest seat in the house, Amelia Kerr (12*) got to see her skipper’s antics.
Mooney And Hemalatha scored quick fifties
Earlier, GG scored a respectable 190/7 while batting first. Matthews bowled 13-year-old Laura Wolvaardt after she failed to swipe. Mooney and Hemalatha, however, gave Gujarat a strong start by scoring 121 runs for the second wicket. Hemalatha hit nine fours and two maximums throughout her knock, while Mooney hit eight fours and three sixes.Sajeevan Sajana broke the outstanding partnership when GG captain Mooney inside edged a length ball onto her stumps. Phoebe Litchfield (3) and Gardner (1) fell to Saika Ishaque and Pooja Vastrakar, respectively, as MI responded with two more swift wickets. Then, as Hemalatha misjudged a loft off Shabnim Ismail, she was discovered hiding. Gujarat reached 190 thanks to a strong cameo by Bharti Fulmali (21* off 13).
By Kevin Varchand