MI vs RCB: Amelia Kerr’s 3/22 help Mumbai Indians keep RCB to 125/9 in WPL

Amelia Kerr snapped three wickets as Mumbai Indians produced a disciplined effort to restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to 125 for nine in their final league match of the inaugural Women’s Premier League here on Tuesday.

Kerr (3/22) validated MI captain Harmanpreet Kaur’s decision to bowl first, taking full advantage of a spin-friendly track here at the DY Patil Stadium, while Hayley Matthews (4-0-18-0) and Saika Ishaque (1/30) were also on the money.

Both Kerr and Ishaque joined Sophie Ecclestone of the UP Warriorz for most wickets (13) in WPL.

RCB had fallen behind in the race to make it to the final three teams who would play the two-game knockout round to decide the winner of WPL, by losing five matches on the trot.

On the other hand, Mumbai Indians have also been under the pump coming off two consecutive defeats and would need to do better with the bat in the chase against RCB to regain lost form.

The task of chasing a moderate 126 would still be tricky given the pitch remained challenging for batting and aided spinners, with Mumbai Indians’ bowlers doing a fine job.

Mumbai made an early breakthrough when a horrible mixup between Sophie Devine (0) and Smriti Mandhana culminated in the former being run out on the fourth ball of the contest.

Mandhana continued to drive herself back into form, hitting a few exciting shots to make 24 from 25 balls with three fours and a six, before her innings was ended by Kerr off a mistimed stroke.

Ellyse Perry (29 from 28 balls, 3x4s) took her time to settle down and opened up only in the 10th over, hitting Saika Ishaque for consecutive fours. At the halfway stage, RCB were 56 for 2.

Heather Knight perished for 12 in the 11th over with Kerr bagging her second wicket, getting the English batter caught at long-on. Knight added 26 runs with Perry during her brief stay in the middle.

The slide continued for RCB with Kerr getting Kanika Ahuja (12) stumped by Yastika Bhatia and soon Nat Sciver-Brunt returned for her final over to claim a couple of wickets to finish at 4-0-24-2, dismissing Perry and Shreyanka Patil (4) to mark yet another poor show for RCB with the bat.

Richa Ghosh cracked three fours and two sixes to make 29 off 13 balls, with her innings helping RCB move past the 100-run mark.

Isabelle Wong (2/26) claimed two late wickets.