Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr joke about a missed catch.
The Mumbai Indians easily chased down 120 to defeat Gujarat Giants by five wickets, securing their first victory of the Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025. Gujarat became the only team in WPL history to win against a specific opponent with this victory, which not only helped them start the season off right but also increased their perfect record against the Giants to 5-0.
Ankush Pandey
Harmanpreet Kaur's decision to field first was hardly surprising, as the chasing team has won every game this season. Following that, Gujarat was bundled out for just 120 thanks to a brilliant bowling display from Hayley Matthews (3/16), Nat Sciver-Brunt (2/26), and Amelia Kerr (2/22).
The early breakthroughs were made possible by Mumbai's disciplined bowling attack, which prevented Gujarat from establishing a rhythm. In the fourth over, Dayalan Hemalatha tried to clear deep mid-wicket after Matthews floated one on a length outside off to him. However, the shot lacked force, and Amelia Kerr ran across, covering ground with ease before making a stunning sliding catch.
The fielding mastery persisted, albeit with a brief lull. Matthews again got Simran Shaikh to make a mistimed slog in the 12th over. Kerr, who was positioned at deep mid-wicket, moved quickly as usual, but she was unable to hold on this time. Since she appeared to cramp up at the last minute, it was an uncommon flaw.
Amelia Kerr commented on the difficult conditions after the game: "I guess the wicket was lower and had a lot of turn and bounce." I am prepared for every ball and know that I must be in the game when Hayley is bowling.
The moment made Matthews laugh, and he replied, "I gave you (Amelia Kerr) pretty high chances."
Remembering the missed catch, Kerr said, "Unfortunately, on a different ball, I dropped one there which was a wicket for Hayley." Matthews, not letting it go unpunished, cheekily added, "We got her a few balls later."
As promised, two overs later, Kerr made sure Simran Shaikh had no second chances. Inspiring another bold shot, Matthews bowled full on off, and Kerr made no mistake this time, settling herself perfectly under the ball to finish the catch.
Mumbai's chase was steady despite a few hiccups, with a modest target of 121. Leading from the front, Nat Sciver-Brunt scored 57 off 39 balls, her second straight fifty of the season, and played another game-winning knock. Her reputation as one of the best all-rounders in the WPL was cemented when she led Mumbai home with 23 balls remaining.
Amelia Kerr became just the second player in WPL history to record both 25 wickets and 250 runs in a single match thanks to her excellent all-around performance. Just one other player? Hayley Matthews is a teammate from Mumbai who has amassed 456 runs and 28 wickets thus far.
The Mumbai Indians' supremacy in the all-rounder department is further demonstrated by the fact that Nat Sciver-Brunt is only two wickets away from joining this exclusive club.
Matthews said she was pleased with the team's performance, saying, "After the first game, it was obviously pretty disappointing, but yeah, to be able to bounce back to where we have feels pretty amazing and even better that it was a complete team performance and had so many people to chip in for this win."
The Mumbai Indians will now focus on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, their upcoming opponent. The two teams will play each other on February 21 at Bengaluru's M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which is renowned for its batting-friendly conditions.
