WPL 2023: Deepti Sharma cracks the MI code!

UP Warriorz’s Deepti Sharma (left) and Sophie Ecclestone celebrate their win over Mumbai Indians at Brabourne on Saturday. Pic/Atul Kamble

Off-spinner Deepti Sharma's 2-35 and two run-outs followed by Grace Harris's 39 off 28 balls ensured a five-wicket win for UP Warriorz (UPW) over league leaders Mumbai Indians (MI) in the Women's Premier League (WPL) at the DY Patil Stadium here on Saturday.

This was MI's first defeat of the season after a five-match winning streak. UPW sit right in the middle of the points table with three wins and three losses.
Put into bat, MI were bundled out for a meagre 127. UPW were tight right from the word go, giving away only 11 runs in the opening three overs without a single boundary.

Anjali Sarvani struck first in the fourth over as she cleaned up stumper-batter Yastika Bhatia for seven runs.

In what was a very slow innings, opener Hayley Matthews (35 off 30) was the highest scorer for MI with three sixes and a four. MI were 56-2 at the end of the 10th over. Matthews was dismissed the following over, caught by wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy off Sophie Ecclestone (3-15).

Too many wickets

MI couldn't gather any wind in their sails as they kept losing wickets to a great bowling display. They lost Kerr (three off five) to Rajeshwari Gayakwad (2-16) and in-form skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (25 off 22) to Deepti Sharma (2-35) in the span of three balls to start the collapse from 77-3, adding only 50 runs for seven wickets. Spinners have enjoyed a lot of success in this tournament, and it was no different for UPW on Saturday as left-arm spinners Ecclestone, Gayakwad and offie Deepti, picked seven wickets between them. Deepti also ran out Issy Wong and Saika Ishaque which helped her in picking up the player-of-the-match award.

UPW got to their target in 19.3 overs. MI were miserly in their bowling. They dismissed opener Devika Vaidya for just a run in the second over. Skipper and opener Healy (eight off 10) fell later to Wong. MI pinned UPW to 27-2 at the end of the Powerplay, which was worse than MI's performance earlier.

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From there, Australian all-rounder Tahlia McGrath (38 off 25) blitzed away with six fours and a six, taking UPW to 71-3 before being caught and bowled by leg-spinner Amelia Kerr.

Harris stars with bat again

Fellow in-form Aussie Grace Harris, who made 46 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, scored 39 runs with seven fours to take UPW to touching distance of the total at 105-4.

MI dismissed Harris and tried to win in the last over, but the inevitable occurred as Ecclestone (16 not out off 17) smashed a six over the bowler to seal it.

Brief scores
MI 127 all out in 20 overs (H Matthews 35, I Wong 32; S Ecclestone 3-15, R Gayakwad 2-16, D Sharma 2-35) lost to UPW 129-5 in 19.3 overs (G Harris 39, T McGrath 38) by five wickets