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Toss: Harmanpreet Kaur (FINALLY) wins the toss, opts to bowl
First innings: RCB 125/9 after 20 overs
Second innings: MI 129/6 after 16.3 overs
That will be all for this blog. Over to CCI for the Lanning v Healy contest.
MI win by 4 wickets and 21 balls to spare: Correction, on the balls to spare.
MI win by 4 wickets and 21 balls to spare: We haven’t run the numbers ourselves but seems DC have to make sure they avoid a really close win too to make sure MI don’t finish top of the table.
MI win by 4 wickets and 21 balls to spare: So the ball is in Delhi Capitals’ court now. MI have won but not big enough to put any extra pressure on DC. Meg Lanning and Co know they can just win and get that final spot confirmed. UP Warriorz will have something to say about it for sure.
MI 129/6 (16.3 overs): MI win by 4 wickets and 21 balls to spare! Mandhana finishes the RCB campaign with the ball in her hand. Bit comical in the end, it must be said.
MI 120/6 (16 overs): WICKET! MI looking for a Bollywood style finish, but losing wickets in the end. The ball is following Mandhana today at DY Patil. Wong c Mandhana b Ahuja 0 (1 ball)
Kanika Ahuja, bowling for the first time in the final match of the tournament for RCB, gets a wicket too. Will definitely finish the tournament as one of the finds for Indian cricket.
MI 120/5 (15.5 overs): WICKET! End of a good partnership for MI, one that will hold them in good stead for the playoffs. Pooja goes for a big shot to try and finish the match but only skies it. Vastrakar c Mandhana b Ahuja 19 (18 balls0
Kanika Ahuja bowling for the first time
MI 115/4 (15 overs): Lovely rotation of strike, Vastrakar is probably the best in the Indian side when it comes to this and Kerr is good at it too.
MI 108/4 (14 overs): A four for Kerr off Schutt in that over and the win is imminent for MI. RCB mostly going through the motions now.
MI 99/4 (13 overs): Very much a case of just getting the 2 points for MI now and hope UPW does them a favour by beating DC. The NRR ship has sailed, four runs from that Bose over.
MI 95/4 (12 overs): Vastrakar with a couple of rasping hits through the offside off Patil’s bowling for two fours.
MI 85/4 (11 overs): If you are the glass half-full kind, the MI batting lineup will go into the playoffs knowing that their middle and lower-middle order have had some time in the middle and won’t be thrust into the deep end on a big day. Kerr finishes that over with a lovely sweep for four.
MI 79/4 (10 overs): Kerr joins Vastrakar in the middle.
MI 73/4 (9.1 overs): WICKET! Probably the pitch being slow or the case of MU batters being tentative, that’s another lose shot. Harman goes chasing outside off, inside edge and bowled. H Kaur b Perry 2 (5 balls)
MI 72/3 (8.4 overs): WICKET! Not long after a superb six down the ground, NSB edges one behind off a short and wide delivery. A classic wrist-spinner’s dismissal you could say. Sciver-Brunt c Ghosh b Asha 13 (7 balls)
MI 64/2 (8 overs): Harman tries a sweep off Schutt and it hits her on the neck region. She is OK though.
MI 62/2 (7.1 overs): WICKET! Looked like a leg cutter from Schutt and the ball stops on Matthews, who chops it to the RCB captain. MI might soon switch to just-win mode instead of win in 11 overs mode. Matthews c Mandhana b Schutt 24 (17 balls)
MI 62/1 (7 overs): Was shaping into a good over for Asha but Sciver-Brunt punches one through midwicket for four, one of her trademark shots.
S Asha comes in, with NSB joining Matthews. Will they keep attacking?
MI 53/1 (6 overs): WICKET! Juggled... but Mandhana takes it. Shreyanka Patil deserved that wicket, she has bowled quite well once again. Bhatia unable to get the elevation and finds the fielder at mid on. Bhatia c Mandhana b Patil 30 (26 balls)
MI 46/0 (5 overs): As the commentators point out, Matthews has been off strike since the start of the 3rd over. She won’t complain though if Yastika can hit three fours in Perry’s over as she did there.
Perry time.
MI 34/0 (4 overs): Time for Bhatia to get a move on especially if MI have an eye on NRR. And after three dot balls to start Patil’s over, she hits two fours.
Shreyanka Patil in early today.
MI 25/0 (3 overs): Tight over from Schutt, just 2 off it.
MI 23/0 (2 overs): MATTHEWS SURVIVES. Sophie Devine is having wildly contrasting evenings in RCB’s last two matches. Couldn’t do a thing wrong when she came out to bat last time. Today out for a 1-ball 0 and then two no balls in her first over here, the second one that actually had Hayley Matthews dismissed. The first free hit went for a six.
MI 6/0 (1 over): Matthews is given out LBW first ball but that looked like a poor decision in real time. Schutt’s wide delivery angle, and the big inswing, it was always going down. Missing by some distance.
Schutt to start off to Matthews and Bhatia.
RCB 125/9 (20 overs): Amelia Kerr’s 3-for and Nat Sciver-Brunt’s double-strike in one over were the highlights for MI as they managed to keep RCB to a low total. Can MI chase this... and chase this quickly enough for a NRR boost? Mind you, it’s batting that has been MI’s issue in the last couple of matches.
RCB 125/9 (20 overs): WICKET! Issy Wong nails a yorker, and Disha Kasat is bowled. End of a lackluster batting display by RCB. Kasat b Wong 2 (5 balls)
RCB 119/8 (19.1 overs): WICKET! End of a fine little knock by Richa and the roles get reversed this time. Kerr doesn’t err in taking a high catch off Wong. Ghosh c Kerr b Wong 29 (13 balls)
RCB 119/7 (19 overs): Amelia Kerr should have had her hands on the Purple Cap but Wong drops a catch and more importantly, it is off Ghosh.
RCB 108/7 (18 overs): Saika finishes with 4-0-31-1, a six for Richa in that over.
RCB 108/7 (17.5 overs): Ishaque is denied once, but not twice. In an over of two overturned reviews, she finally gets the 13th wicket that has eluded for a while. Schutt lbw b Ishaque 2 (5 balls)
RCB 95/6 (16.4 overs): WICKET! PERFECT YORKER. Four and out, Shreyanka Patil is back in the pavilion. That is as good as it gets for a bowler in the death overs. Patil b Sciver-Brunt 4 (3 balls)
RCB 91/5 (16.1 overs): WICKET! It was not Perry’s day with the bat. She moves across, trying to sweep NSB but misses the ball. Doesn’t bother reviewing. “Plumb” she says on her way back Perry lbw b Sciver-Brunt 29 (38 balls)
RCB 91/4 (16 overs): Richa Ghosh comes in, hits a four and six off Issy Wong to get going right away.
RCB 78/4 (14.4 overs): WICKET! Kerr has three and joins Ecclestone at the top of the wicket-takers list. Another wrong-’un, Ahuja is beaten completely. Easiest of stumpings. Ahuja st Bhatia b Kerr 12 (13
RCB 76/3 (14 overs): Sciver-Brunt’s over goes for 7 runs, as does Ishaque’s. But MI miss a chance to run Perry out. Amanjot’s throw to Ishaque too high, Harmanpreet is not happy. Ahuja hits a four in Ishaque’s over, who continues to search for her wicket.
RCB 62/3 (12 overs): Surely Perry has to tee off here? It’s been a struggle for her. Ahuja meanwhile times a couple of drives as well as anyone as today so far. Matthews finishes with 4-0-18-0.
The dynamic Kanika Ahuja in the middle now. Can she push RCB forward?
RCB 59/3 (11 overs): WICKET! Kerr has her second wicket. Knight goes long down the ground, doesn’t get good contact. Might have been wrong ‘un again from Kerr. Knight c Wong b Kerr 12 (13 balls)
RCB 56/2 (10 overs): Ishaque going for runs again after a good first over. Two fours in that over for Perry, the second a full toss on her pads.
Timeout.
RCB 44/2 (9 overs): Just three singles off Wong’s over. The timing hasn’t been easy for the batters on this pitch. Perry hasn’t really hit the ground running, batting on 11 off 19 balls. Knight a little busier since coming in.
RCB 41/2 (8 overs): Tidy over from Ishaque to start off. Still feels like she is firing in too many deliveries.
RCB 37/2 (7 overs): Saika time. Can she bounce back from a couple of tough outings?
RCB 33/2 (6.4 overs): WICKET! Smriti Mandhana will finish the first WPL season with a high score 37. Hasn’t been her tournament with the bat, but at least clear what she needs to work on. The ball turning away is the clear chink in her armour. Goes for a big shot through the leg side, gets the leading edge. Mandhana c Bhatia b Kerr 24 (25 balls)
RCB 32/1 (6 overs): A disastrous start but Mandhana has looked in good touch since. A four through square leg in that Matthews over too. Not a bad powerplay in the end for RCB, MI would like to pick up a wicket or two soon.
RCB 27/1 (5 overs): A delightful shot over midwicket for six by Mandhana but NSB comes back brilliantly. Nearly has Mandhana chopped on with a cutter. Good over, for RCB overall.
RCB 16/1 (4 overs): A delightful lofted cover drive by Perry for four as Matthews went wide off the crease to deliver one. Mandhana taking no chances in that over.
RCB 9/1 (3 overs): A four for Mandhana, caressed through the point region. But otherwise a tidy over by Wong.
Issy Wong from the other end.
RCB 4/1 (2 overs): Oh dear, nearly another Mandhana dismissal against off-spin. But the leading edge falls safe.
Matthews to Mandhana. Match-up time.
RCB 1/1 (0.3 overs): WICKET! Oh dear, massive mix up. Devine taps to point, takes off but says no. Both batters are nearly at the same end. The throw should have been to non-strikers and Yastika should have thrown the ball to the other end. Poor awareness from her, Harmanpreet is initially angry. But turns out even Devine was short of the ground. Poor cricket all around, Devine pays the price. Devine run out 0 (2 balls)
Nat Sciver Brunt will start off, expect Hayley Matthews from the other end. Can Smriti Mandhana finish on a high? Will Sophie Devine produce more fireworks?
MI XI: Yastika Bhatia (WK), Hayley Matthews, Natalie Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Issy Wong, Amanjot Kaur, Humairaa Kaazi, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque.
RCB XI: Smriti Mandhana (C), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Heather Knight, Kanika Ahuja, Richa Ghosh (WK), Shreyanka Patil, Disha Kasat, Asha Shobana, Megan Schutt, Preeti Bose
TOSS: Oh yes, the important bit. Harmanpreet opts to bowl first. MI have made no changes to the XI. No changes for RCB too, that is perhaps a bit surprising. Thought they could give a go to the likes of Dane van Niekerk.
TOSS: STOP THE PRESS! Harmanpreet Kaur has won the toss. Her first toss win of the season.
2.58 pm: First things first, can Harmanpreet end a run of 7 straight toss defeats?
2.55 pm: Hello and welcome to the live coverage of Women’s Premier League. It’s match No 19 and Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first fixture of double-header day.
A ridiculously quick turnaround time for MI, they played the second fixture last night and are playing the first fixture today. But it is what is, as they look to bounce back from a tough defeat against Delhi Capitals. MI became the first to qualify for the playoffs but have just lost steam at the wrong time of the tournament. They seemed favourites to qualify for the final but the top spot is not theirs for the taking anymore. Harmanpreet Kaur and Co take on eliminated RCB looking for a win (and possibly a NRR boost).
For RCB, the pre-tournament hype didn’t translate into wins early enough but they have found some momentum late on. Can they finish on a high? Maybe a Smriti Mandhana special to sign off?
MI vs RCB blog: Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt power MI to nine-wicket win
TOSS: Smriti Mandhana opts to bat.
First innings: RCB 155 all out after 18.4 overs
Second innings: MI 159/1 after 14.2 overs
Photos / screenshots in the blog courtesy: Sportzpics / wplt20.com and JioCinema