MI VS GG MATCH 12

That is it from this game and Mumbai qualify for the playoffs after just 5 games played. The action in the Women's T20 League 2023 continues on Wednesday, the 15th of March as UP go up against Bangalore in an important clash at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai. That game will begin at 7.30 pm IST (2 pm GMT) but as usual, our build-up will begin a lot sooner. Till then, take care and goodbye!

Harmanpreet Kaur (51 runs off 30 balls), captain of Mumbai is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH. She says that the credit goes to the team and support staff and wants to carry on in a similar fashion. Adds that there is positivity in the dressing room and its showing with the results. Mentions that she was happy when they made the side as they had a good combination and they are getting great results. Adds that her plan was to keep wickets in hand, play some balls early on and take it deep. Closes by saying that she targeted the leg side as it was a shorter boundary and went in her favour.

The Presentation time...

Natalie Sciver-Brunt comes up for a quick chat. She starts by saying that she did not expect to qualify so early on and mentions that they are having a good time. Adds that she had a good time with the ball but didn't get much swing in this game and the dew wasn't there either. Says that having in-form batters is good but getting everyone a bat out in the middle is fruitful as well for the latter stages. Mentions that they are trying to take it one game at a time and they are playing from the heart and enjoying themselves. On switching to a different venue in the next game, she says that they will have to see how the conditions play after they get there.

Gujarat's skipper, Sneh Rana says that she was glad to keep Mumbai to 162. Adds that it was a chasable score but they messed it up. Mentions that they needed two good partnerships and they would have sailed through. Lauds Harleen Deol who was fantastic in the field and kudos to her. Closes by saying that if the batters put on handy runs, it will help them to fight for a spot in the finals.

Earlier in the game, Harmanpreet Kaur lost the toss yet again and Mumbai were put into bat. Having lost Hayley Matthews for a duck, they managed to make a decent recovery. Yastika Bhatia and Natalie Sciver-Brunt first raked up a few boundaries and built up a big stand and then in the latter stages it was a brilliant half-century by their skipper Harmanpreet Kaur that took the final score to well over the 150-run mark. For Gujarat, Ashleigh Gardner picked up three wickets and skipper Sneh Rana picked up a single wicket but remained highly economical and Harleen Deol too displayed some great work in the field. Chasing 163 runs to win, the Gujarat side never really got going with the bat and were suffocated by the Mumbai bowlers, succumbing to a big loss.

Gujarat have found it difficult to muster up runs consistently in the tournament so far and after losing their star-batter Sophia Dunkley on the very first ball, they were under immense pressure. Consistent performer Harleen Deol did start well and Sabbineni Meghana too got going a bit but both of them got out in quick succession. Gujarat never recovered from this and they only managed to bring the margin of loss down a bit with a couple of decent knocks from skipper Sneh Rana and Sushma Verma down the order.

Mumbai did well to put on 162 runs on the board on a pitch that had something in it for the spinners. Natalie Sciver-Brunt then got them off to a perfect start with the ball as she got rid of the dangerous Sophia Dunkley first ball. This set the tone and after a bit of resistance, the wickets started to flow. Sciver-Brunt followed up her good showing with the bat to pick up three wickets. Hayley Matthews got the ball to turn a lot and picked up three wickets as well. Amelia Kerr too picked up a couple of good wickets and all in all, it was an excellent display with the ball and in the field from them.

Mumbai make it five wins out of five with another statement victory against Gujarat and become the first team to make it through to the playoffs. It was a similar story to the opening game of the tournament, only this time the margin of victory for Mumbai was a little less but still a pretty big one in general and they are now guaranteed a top-three spot on the points table.

That's it! Mumbai have done the double over Gujarat! Short and outside off, Sushma Verma cuts it straight to the backward point fielder. Gujarat end on 107 for 9 in their allotted overs and Mumbai wins this one by a thumping margin of 55 runs. Harmanpreet Kaur is riding high on confidence and Mumbai are surely going to end in the top three.

Tossed up on the leg peg, Mansi Joshi turns it toward mid-wicket for one.

Full on off, Mansi Joshi prods and defends.

No run. Arm ball and skids onto the off stump, Mansi Joshi makes room and cuts to the point region.

Slower and outside off, Sushma Verma pushes it through extra covers for a single.

Shortish and skids around off, Sushma Verma cuts it toward covers.

A yorker on the middle and leg, Mansi Joshi gets her bat down and digs it out comfortably.

FOUR! Great commitment from Hayley Matthews but she fails to stop the boundary. Good length around off, Mansi Joshi hangs back and steers it past backward point. Matthews gives chase and puts in the dive, only to see her effort deflected back off the fore-arm into the boundary ropes.