WPL | Warriorz complete dominant double over Mumbai as Lanning-Litchfield heroics secure 22-run win

Gantavya Adukia

ByGantavya Adukia,SportsCafe Editor

19

UP Warriorz beat Mumbai Indians for the second time in three days at the Dr DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai with a 22-run win on Saturday. Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield fifties powered the Warriorz to 187 before a disciplined bowling effort ensured the hosts were never in the contest.

‌Asked to bat first, UP Warriorz lost Kiran Navgire to a golden duck in the very first over courtesy of the perfect inswinging yorker from Nicola Carey, bringing Phoebe Litchfield to the crease. Nevertheless, Meg Lanning got the visitors' momentum underway by dispatching Sanskriti Gupta's first ball for four, followed by the first maximum of the innings off Carey. Five more boundaries came off the former Australian skipper's bat in the next three overs, as the Warriorz ended the powerplay on a formidable 56/1. Litchfield, meanwhile, had tallied a couple of boundaries herself but the spread of field left her lagging at 18 off 17. However, she decided to break the shcackles against Amanjot Kaur in the ninth over, slashing a boundary through point before dancing down the track to elegantly send the ball beyond the long-off boundary. Lanning replicated the trick against Amelia Kerr the following over to bring up a 35-ball fifty, and at the halfway stage the Warriorz were well placed at 90/1. Nat Sciver-Brunt restrained the scoring with clever variations in the 11th that led to Litchfield edging one to short-third, only for 18-year-old Triveni Vasistha to let it slip. The next over brought more chances as the Indians failed to capitalize on a run-out and a stumping opportunity in an over eventually worth 10, and paid heavily for it. Litchfield heaved the first ball off Amanjot for a maximum, even as Nicola Carey got to the ball but could not get hands on it, before smashing two fours on either side of the field to celebrate a 33-ball half-century. Amanjot got back by following the Aussie as she tried to maneouvre in the crease and ended up chipping one straight to short cover, only for it to pop out of skipper Haramnpreet Kaur's hands. Litchfield thanked her Indian counterpart with another maximum the following delivery, albeit Amanjot had the final laugh when Litchfield picked out deep square on the final blal of the 20-run over. Lanning maximized on the momentum with three boundaries off Hayley Matthews, but ended with the same fate as her compatriot. With two new batters, Harleen Deol and Chloe Tryon, at the crease, the Indians built up some pressure but two 11-run soon followed to take them to 177/3 with two overs to spare. However, Sciver-Brunt brought respite by dismissing Tryon and Shweta Sehrawat on successive deliveries, before Amelia Kerr scalped three ina two-run final over to restrict the Warriorz to 187/8.

In response, the latest Mumbai opening pair of Hayley Matthews and and Sajeevan Sajana looked in fine touch upfront. The Windies batter kept striking the ball sweetly but found fielders too often, managing three boundaries in the first two overs before Sajana joined the party with a maximum off Kranti Gaud. The big-hitter then edged a wild slog for four two balls later before Gaud finally got the dismissal by pinning her plumb with an in-decker. Sophie Ecclestone got her spell off to a dreamy start the next over as Matthes chipped one straight back to her on the second delivery of what turned out to be a wicket-maiden. Shikha Pandey was the next to strike straight after the powerplay as Sciver-Brunt hit one straight to Lannign at cover, and Deepti Sharma capped off a spree of quiet overs by bagging Nicola Carey for a 10-ball six. Harmanpreet, meanwhile, was struggling at the other end all along but seemed to break free with a maximum off Tryon in the 11th over, only to hole out to deep mid-wicket three balls later for a 21--ball 18. Thus reeling at 69/5, the ask had skied beyond 13 an overwith Kerr and amanjot at the crease. The duo tried to inject some momentum with a streak of good overs, smashign Ecclestone for three boundaries in the 15th before Amanjot struck Deepti for back-to-back maximums. The duo racked up 83 runs in just 45 balls, yet a steep 37 were required off the last two, and Amanjot finally hit one back to Shikha in the penultimate over to depart for 41 off 24. Mumbai eventually ended 22 short, with Kerr unbeaten on 49 off 28. 

Too good

The best

B2B

Back in form

2 in 2

Superb

Back with a bang

Fantastic

Interesting

UP love MI

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