Vadodara: Gujarat Giants paid the price for their over-aggression as Mumbai Indians’ bowlers, led by off-spinner Hayley Matthews, delivered a clinical performance to bowl them out for 120 in their Women’s Premier League match here on Tuesday.
The Giants, trying to muscle the ball with big hits instead of building partnerships, saw wickets fall regularly, with Matthews leading the charge, finishing with outstanding figures of 3 for 16. She used flight and change of pace to perfection during her spell.
Shabnim Ismail (1/17), Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/26), Amelia Kerr (2/22) and Amanjot Kaur (1/17) were also instrumental in strangling Gujarat’s batting.
Harleen Deol top-scored with a 31-ball 32, while Kashvee Gautam (20) and Tanuja Kanwar (13) also got starts but couldn’t capitalise.
Sent in to bat, Gujarat were in trouble early, crashing to 16 for 3 in the 4th over, with Beth Mooney (1), Laura Wolvaardt (4), and Dayalan Hemalatha (9) back in the pavilion. Hemalatha has been in poor form for some time now.
Gujarat’s in-form skipper, Ashleigh Gardner, tried to inject some momentum, pulling Sciver-Brunt for a six, but the bowler got her out on the very next delivery.
At the end of the powerplay, Gujarat found themselves at a perilous 28 for 4.
Deandra Dottin was stumped by Yastika Bhatia off Kerr as Gujarat slumped to 43 for 5 in 8.2 overs.
Deol and Gautam added 24 off 19 balls, with the latter hitting a big six off Ismail over long-on. However, Matthews induced a faint edge to dismiss Gautam.
Deol hit two boundaries off Kerr in the 13th over, but Simran Shaikh was dismissed, leaving Gujarat at 79 for 7. Deol too perished off Amanjot’s bowling in the 17th over.
