Royal Challengers Bangalore 115 for 3 (Perry 40*, Ghosh 36*) beat Mumbai Indians 113 (Sajana 30, Perry 6-15) by seven wickets
RCB’s win snuffed out Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz’s playoff hopes.
Mandhana’s decision at the toss bears fruit
It takes a brave captain to go against the tide, especially in a game that could make or break the team’s season. Six of the seven games in the Delhi-leg of the WPL before today had been won by the sides batting first. Even the one that Mumbai won chasing required a Harmanpreet Kaur special. Despite that, Mandhana elected to field, citing the match being played on a fresh surface as the reason. And her decision paid off.
With Yastika Bhatia out due to illness, Mumbai had a new opening pair in S Sajana and Hayley Matthews. The duo added 43 for the opening wicket, but once Matthews fell, it was all one-way traffic.
Perry magic leaves Mumbai dumbfounded
It started with a catch, it ended with the poles being hit four times – with two lbws fitted in between – as Perry ripped through the Mumbai top order in a sensational display of swing and seam bowling. She was involved in each of the first seven Mumbai wickets to fall and by the time she was done, RCB had one foot in the playoffs.
Sophie Devine struck first removing Matthews with Perry taking an excellent catch diving forward at deep midwicket. Perry started well with the ball conceding only a run in her first over, but Mumbai were still motoring along at close to eight runs an over.
From no wickets off her first nine balls, she picked up six off her next 15 as Mumbai collapsed from 61 for 1 in 8.3 overs to 82 for 7 in 13.
Full report to follow…
