Mumbai Indians thrash RCB in WPL

Mumbai Indians recorded a convincing nine-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore, their second on the trot in the Women’s Premier League, at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday. In the process, they also asserted that their power-packed performance in the tournament opener against Gujarat Giants was no fluke.
It started with their bowlers, who didn’t sway away from their plans and kept the RCB batters on a tight leash every time. The batters then followed the same template, attacking the fragile RCB bowling to canter to victory in 14. 2 overs. Leading them in both departments was West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews. With her off-spin she finished as MI’s top-wicket taker with figures of 3/28, which included back-to-back scalps of RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana and Heather Knight (0) in her second over.
Delhi beat Bangalore
Meg Lanning was eager to watch Shafali Verma rip apart opposition bowlers from the non-striker’s end. The Delhi Capitals skipper’s wish was fulfilled on Sunday as her younger teammate played an integral role in their 60-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their opening match of the Women’s Premier League at the Brabourne Stadium. USA’s Tara Norris picked up five for 29 as DC restricted RCB to 168 for three to round off a comfortable win. The 24-year-old left-arm pacer accounted for Ellyse Perry (31), Richa Ghosh (2) and Heather Knight (34) among her five scalps to make sure RCB middle-order didn’t mount a comeback after 18-year-old offie Alice Capsey (2/10) had sent back openers Sophie Devine (14) and Smriti Mandhana (35).
Harman provides sizzling opening act
After a grand opening ceremony, if the Women’s Premier League needed a rollicking start, it required a Harmanpreet Kaur ‘special.’ Unleashing her brand of sizzling strokeplay, the Indian and Mumbai Indians captain smashed a boundary-filled 65 to guide her team to a mammoth score of 207 for 5 against a listless Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday night. Kaur’s magical innings and her entertaining 89-run partnership for the fourth wicket in just 42 balls with the equally destructive New Zealander Amelia Kerr (45 not out), saw MI plunder 130 runs off their last 10 overs, 83 of those coming in the final 6.