(Cricket news) Before today’s WPL 2024 final group match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, Ellyse Perry had not claimed a wicket in her previous six innings. She more than made up for it by leading RCB into the playoffs and bringing back the best WPL stats ever. Perry, who finished with a 6 for 15, put on an incredible show of swing bowling to enable the Mumbai Indians be dismissed for just 113 runs.
Perry was far from finished yet. After the RCB swiftly lost their top three, she took charge of the chase with an undefeated 40 off 38 balls. Richa Ghosh, who was unbeaten at 36 off 28 as the RCB won by seven wickets in Delhi, was her ally. The victory over RCB ended the postseason hopes to reach to the playoff of the Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz.
Mandhana’s decision at the toss bears fruit
Going against the grain requires a courageous captain, particularly in a game that has the potential to make or ruin the team’s season. Until today, the team batting first has won six of the seven games in the Delhi leg of the WPL. Harmanpreet Kaur exceptional was needed even for the one that Mumbai won by pursuing. In spite of this, Mandhana chose to field, stating that the game was being played on a new pitch. And that was a wise choice.
Mumbai started S Sajana and Hayley Matthews as the new opening pair because Yastika Bhatia was sidelined by sickness. After Matthews was out, the pair added 43 for the first wicket, but after that, it was all one-way traffic.
Perry magic leaves Mumbai dumbfounded
It began with a catch and ended with Perry tearing through Mumbai with a breathtaking performance of swing and seam bowling, hitting the poles four times with two leg before wickets in between. After being involved in all seven of the initial Mumbai wicket falls, RCB had already qualified for the playoffs.
Matthews was first removed by Sophie Devine after Perry made a superb catch while leaping forward at deep midwicket. Perry got off to a good start, giving up just one run in her opening over, but Mumbai was still cruising at nearly eight runs per over.
She took six wickets in her following fifteen deliveries after taking no wickets in her opening nine overs, as Mumbai fell from 61 for 1 in 8.3 overs to 82 for 7 in 13.
The ball of good length proved to be the undoing of Mumbai. Perry initially breached Sajana’s defenses with a cutting in-ducker that struck her off stump. Perry moved away from Harmanpreet at the very next delivery, and despite her best efforts, she managed to get a thick inside edge back onto her stumps.
Perry got another decent length ball in her next over to veer sharply back into Amelia Kerr’s pads. Kerr was smacked on the pads, and a loud appeal followed. The on-field umpire’s not-out call was contested by RCB, and they were ultimately correct. Perry’s opening ball was pulled by Amanjot Kaur, but she was promptly sent back by another powerful inswinger that sliced her in two.
After taking out Pooja Vastrakar to secure her fifth wicket, Perry set a new WPL record for the greatest figures off the last ball of her spell, snaring Nat-Sciver Brunt in front of her. Perry delivered eighteen dot balls in her four overs period, leaving Mumbai completely bewildered.
Perry, Ghosh take RCB into the playoffs
After RCB lost their top three swiftly, Perry excelled with the bat as well, as if taking six wickets wasn’t enough. For the second game in a row, Sophie Molineux opened the batting and had a life on 4 when Sciver-Brunt spilled an easy catch at extra cover. However, she was unable to hold out for long as Matthews stumped her for nine. The next over saw Sciver-Brunt dismiss Mandhana, and Shabnam Ismail outpaced Devine in pace.
There would have been some nerves in the RCB camp at 39 for 3 after 6.1 overs. Perry struck Saika Ishaque for a four and a six to end some of them. Then, Sciver-Brunt gave Ghosh a huge reprieve when he again shelled an easy catch off Ismail at midwicket. And Ghosh made Mumbai pay, not Molineux.
Both hitters pitched their innings well, opening up their shoulders as soon as they understood the surface. Perry’s delivery of Vastrakar over mid-on to get RCB over the line and complete the victory in 15 overs was fitting.
