Bengaluru, Feb 29:
UP Warriorz registered their first win as they beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in Match 6 of the TATA WPL 2024 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
A fine collective bowling performance saw UPW restrict MI to 161/6 after opting to field first. Kiran Navgire then hit a power-packed 57 (31) to set the tone for the chase, along with captain Healy (33 off 29), as they added 94 for the opening wicket.
Grace Harris (38* off 17) and Deepti Sharma (27* off 20) then provided the finishing touches after a slight stutter to take UPW past the finish line with 21 balls to spare.
Chasing 162, UPW got off to a solid start as Kiran Navgire and Alyssa Healy took the aggressive route early. Navgire went after Issy Wong in the third over, cracking four fours to make it a 17-run over.
Healy smacked a couple of fours off Nat Sciver-Brunt to bring up the 50-run stand off just 30 balls. Navgire smashed a huge six off Saika Ishaque in the next over as UPW cruised to 61/0, the highest Powerplay score of the season so far.
The partnership grew from strength to strength as the batters continued to attack. MI had the opportunity to break the stand in the 8th over, but Issy Wong put down a tough chance at long off to give Navgire a reprieve when on 42.
Navgire made them pay as she smacked a six next ball to bring up her fifty in style, off just 25 balls. In dire need of a wicket, Nat Sciver-Brunt brought Kerr back into the attack in the 10th over, and she struck straightaway, having the dangerous Navgire (57 off 31) stumped to break the 94-run stand.
One brought two, and then three, as Nat Sciver-Brunt’s other bowling change worked wonders. She brought back Wong, and the MI all-rounder bounced back hard after being hit for 17 in her first over to dismiss Tahlia McGrath and the set Healy (33 off 29) in the same over.
Grace Harris and Deepti Sharma then got together, steadied the ship, brought some calm amid chaos, and played some cracking shots to take UPW past the finish line with an unbeaten 65 (36) run stand.
Earlier, UP Warriorz captain won the toss and elected to field. Nat Sciver-Brunt was leading Mumbai Indians in the absence of Harmanpreet Kaur, who missed out due to a niggle.
