New Delhi: The wait for WPL’s first-ever centurion finally came to an end in Vadodara on Monday as Nat Sciver-Brunt etched her name in history with an unbeaten 57-ball ton ensuring Mumbai Indians completed a 15-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
A sensational batting display from Mumbai saw them power their way to a towering 199/4 that Bengaluru simply couldn’t match. Although Lauren Bell delivered with the new ball yet again as S Sajana fell early, Sciver-Brunt was on to something special from the get go.
Timing the ball well, she combined with Hayley Matthews on the other end to take on the RCB bowlers after the powerplay. The duo stitched a 131-run partnership off 73 balls and brought up their respective half-centuries in the process.
Although Bell struck once again, dismissing Matthews in the 15th over, Sciver-Brunt powered on with captain Harmanpreet Kaur alongside. She stitched another vital 42-run stand with her, maintaining the momentum right till the end. MI lost Harmanpreet and Amanjot Kaur in quick succession but Sciver-Brunt made it to the record books in the final over.
Chasing 200, RCB lost five wickets for 35 inside the powerplay, leaving them with a mountain to climb in a 200-run chase. With wickets falling regularly, a heavy defeat loomed before Richa Ghosh played a 49-ball 90 that almost threatened to snatch the game away from Mumbai before Amelia Kerr pulled things back in the final over.
Brief scores: Mumbai Indians 199/4 (Nat Sciver-Brunt 100*, Hayley Matthews 56, Lauren Bell 2/21); Royal Challengers Bengaluru 184/9 (Richa Ghosh 90, Nadine de Klerk 28, Hayley Matthews 3/10) MI won by 15 runs.
