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Lahore, Feb 20 (IANS) Jamie Smith will bat at No.3 for the first time in his ODI career and keep wicket for England in their Champions Trophy opener against Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Saturday. Joe Root, England’s long-time No. 3, moved down to No.4 in the final match of their recent 3-0 ODI series loss in India and will continue in that role. Smith, who has only batted at No.5 or 6 in his seven-match ODI career, steps into a new position in his first ICC tournament appearance.

England struggled with team balance after Jacob Bethell’s injury in India, appearing one batter short in the second ODI and lacking bowling depth in the third. They have opted for a batting-heavy lineup for the Champions Trophy opener, with Liam Livingstone at No. 7. As a result, Livingstone and Root will share 10 overs between them.

Root has previously batted at No. 4 in 56 of his 163 ODI innings, though most came early in his career. With Smith at No. 3, England's middle-order - Root, Harry Brook, and Jos Buttler - will be bolstered after recent collapses in India.

Smith featured in only two of England’s eight white-ball matches in India due to a calf injury but has recovered in time to face Australia. He will keep wickets ahead of Phil Salt - who will open alongside Ben Duckett.

Fast bowler Brydon Carse, sidelined by a toe injury for the second and third ODIs in India, has also been passed fit. He has been preferred over Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Saqib Mahmood and will bat at No. 8 as England’s third seamer, with Jofra Archer and Mark Wood leading the attack.

Australia, meanwhile, are missing five senior players: Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Marsh (all injured), along with Marcus Stoinis (retired from ODIs) and Mitchell Starc (personal reasons). The two sides last met in ODIs at the end of the 2024 English summer, with Australia winning 3-2.

England XI vs Australia: Phil Salt, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

--IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 19 (IANS) After Delhi Capitals held their nerve to register a seven-wicket win over UP Warriorz in WPL 2025, skipper Meg Lanning said this was undoubtedly their best performance in the ongoing competition so far.

After keeping UPW to 166/7, captain Meg Lanning set the foundation for the chase with 69. But after she fell, DC needed 32 runs off the last three overs. The experienced Marizanne Kapp (29 not out) and Annabel Sutherland (41 not out) stepped up to complete the chase in the last over to ensure DC signed off from WPL 2025 Vadodara leg on a high.

"Happy to be on the right side. Much better out there tonight. I felt I was positive from the first ball. Got my footwork going. We had some world-class players out there (in the closing stages of the chase). I thought we were on for 200 after the first six overs! We pulled it back really nicely. Taking wickets is really important. There's always areas to improve, but I feel this was our best performance of the tournament so far," said Meg after the match ended.

Talking about her unbroken partnership of 48 with Annabel, Marizanne said, “To be honest, we didn't speak a lot, lucky to have got past the line. They have quality spinners, just the way Annabel supported me. It was a tough task, but luckily it came off well today.”

Marizanne admitted she hasn’t been pleased with her bowling returns, but at the same time, she felt Meg needed the fifty hit in the chase to get her usual groove back. “The pace hasn't been great (so far this season), I've relied a lot on my pace, but luckily it came up well today in the last few overs but as an all-rounder I can play a role across the game. Lanning probably needed this innings, great to see her back amongst the runs. We just need to keep playing better in every game and get a few more points on the board.”

Annabel, who took the Player of the Match award for her all-round performance of 41 not out and 2-26, said it was nice to get a win, and contribute in it with both of her skills.

“We did well to pull back in the bowling innings. Just reading the conditions... trying to use the longer boundary. Meg was going pretty well, then Kappy came in and was hitting the ball pretty well. I just try to find out what's working as early as possible. It's tough for bowlers at times. Sometimes it's your day, sometimes it's not.

"We lost back-to-back wickets, otherwise the total could have been different. We trusted ourselves as bowling unit. We pulled it back after the powerplay. Only if we'd taken the catches; it's part of the game, though. The result could have been different (had we taken them). The team is doing well. Even today, 166 was a good total. We want to play good cricket as a team," she said.

The result also means that UPW sign off from Vadodara as the only winless team, especially after sloppy fielding and a middle overs slide cost them the game against DC, something which captain Deepti Sharma duly noted.

--IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 19 (IANS) Captain Meg Lanning was at her majestic best through a fine 69, while Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp held their nerve to be unbeaten on 41 and 29 respectively as Delhi Capitals edged UP Warriorz by seven wickets in match six of WPL 2025 at the Kotambi Stadium on Wednesday.

After Kiran Navgire’s whirlwind fifty off 24 balls, Shweta Sehrawat’s 33-ball 37 and Chinelle Henry’s unbeaten 15-ball 33 powered UP Warriorz to 166/7, Meg set the foundation for DC’s chase by hitting a 49-ball 69, laced with 12 fours.

Later, Annabel and Marizanne played critical unbeaten knocks to ensure that DC completed the chase with a ball to spare and end the WPL 2025 Vadodara leg on a high. The duo and DC were also helped by a shoddy fielding performance from UPW helping them climb to second place in the points table.

Shafali Verma began DC’s chase of 167 by hitting Kranti Goud for four and six in the opening over. From the other end, Meg cut and steered Sophie Ecclestone for a brace of fours, before she and Shafali took a four each off Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Meg upped the ante by flicking Chinelle Henry for two easy fours, before creating room to cut her through backward point again and getting a similar result against Kranti as DC ended power-play at 59/0.

But shortly after that, Shafali miscued a slog off the toe-end against Deepti to deep mid-wicket and fall for a 16-ball 26. One brought two for UPW as Jemimah Rodrigues top-edged a sweep to short fine leg off Sophie and fall for a duck.

Meg, though, continued to dazzle in piercing the off-side by slapping Rajeshwari through point for raising her fifty. But in a bid to flick off Grace Harris, Meg shuffled far too across and was castled. Though Annabel and Marizanne held fort in the chase, DC still needed 32 runs off last 18 balls, and all options open in terms of which way the result would go.

But the experienced Marizanne maintained her composure to hit back-to-back boundaries off Sophie in the 18th over. On the last ball of the 19th over, Marizanne’s catch was dropped by substitute Alana King, as the equation came down to 11 runs in the final over. Annabel hit Tahlia McGrath for back-to-back fours, before the all-rounder made a mess of a run-out chase as DC got over the line, with UPW paying the price for poor fielding.

Previously, Kiran unleashed unbelievable carnage by hitting six fours and three sixes to smash the fastest half-century by a UP Warriorz batter in the WPL. But after she fell for 51 off 27 balls, DC came back to pick four wickets in 16 runs.

It took solid knocks in the back end from Shweta and Chinelle, playing her first WPL game, to ensure UPW crossed the 160-mark. Kiran provided a rollicking start to UPW’s innings by swivelling and lofting Marizanne for a brace of fours. Kiran then hit Shikha Pandey for back-to-back boundaries coming off sublime drives. After Vrinda Dinesh lofted Marizanne for a boundary, Kiran pulled her for six, before dancing down the pitch to take a four and six off Jess Jonassen.

Boundaries continued to flow for Kiran as she swatted a juicy full toss from Shikha over mid-off for six, before Vrinda lofted Annabel for a boundary. But after that, DC bounced back as Vrinda pulled a cross-seam delivery from Annabel straight to deep mid-wicket.

Though Kiran got her fifty in 24 balls by driving Arundhati Reddy through the gap at extra cover for four, she fell for 51 off 27 deliveries while trying to pull a short ball from Annabel, with the leading edge caught by long leg.

Tahlia stepped out of her crease to drive Jess on the off-side, but misses the delivery and was stumped swiftly by Sarah Bryce. In the next over, Sarah exhibited another swift work with the gloves to have Deepti stumped, and leave UPW in tatters at 83/4. Grace and Shweta tried resurrecting the innings with their 36-run stand off 32 balls, before the former spooned straight to mid-off against Arundhati.

Chinelle injected much-needed momentum into the innings by thumping Minnu Mani for four, before smacking an off-colour Shikha for two sixes and as many fours to take 23 runs off the 17th over. The duo took a four each off Arundhati, before being dismissed in the final over by Marizanne as UPW could get only 16 runs off the last three overs.

Brief Scores: UP Warriorz 166/7 (Kiran Navgire 51, Shweta Sehrawat 37; Annabel Sutherland 2-26, Minnu Mani 1-16) lost to Delhi Capitals 167/3 in 19.5 overs (Meg Lanning 69, Annabel Sutherland 41 not out; Grace Harris 1-11, Deepti Sharma 1-27) by seven wickets

--IANS

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Karachi, Feb 19 (IANS) Pakistan captain Mohammad Rizwan stated that his side did not expect New Zealand to score 320 runs in the first innings, having gotten off to a solid start, and poor execution in the death overs resulted in their 60-run loss in their opening game of the 2025 Champions Trophy being played at the National Bank Stadium.

Despite losing two early wickets, New Zealand showed resilience and tactical acumen. Their top order, led by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), took the fight to the hosts. Following Young’s dismissal, Glenn Phillips proved to be the game changer as he accelerated the Kiwis run-rate at a strike rate of 156.41, in an innings laced with three boundaries and four sixes, on his way to scoring 61 runs in 39 deliveries.

"I think they made a very good target, we didn't expect they would get 320. We thought around 260 when we took early wickets. The Will Young-Latham partnership was crucial. We tried, but they played very smartly and that's why they got to that total. The pitch was not easy to bat early on, but Will Young and Latham's innings were crucial. Our execution in the end overs was not good, and that's why they made that score,” said Rizwan in the post-match presentation.

Pakistan’s chase however failed to live up to the hype of the home crowd, having gotten the opportunity to watch a major ICC tournament game in the country for the first time since 1996.

After Saud Shakeel and Mohammad Rizwan’s early dismissals, the home ground witnessed a lacklustre innings from Babar Azam as he inched his way to a total of 64 on the night, in 90 balls, leaving the hosts in a difficult position.

This defeat leaves Pakistan in a precarious position ahead of their high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals India. The defending champions will need to address their batting concerns quickly, particularly their lack of intent and inability to build momentum early in the innings. With Bangladesh also in their group, the road to the semi-finals has become significantly tougher, and any further slip-ups could prove costly.

Rizwan said his team will not be taking any added pressure for the crucial tie vs India and will treat it as a normal game.

“ We lost momentum twice, first in the death overs and then in the powerplay with the bat. Losing Fakhar Zaman [as opener] was crucial. We didn't want to put pressure on ourselves by thinking we are defending champions. This match is gone, and the next match is another normal match for us,” he added.

--IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 19 (IANS) Captain Meg Lanning was at her majestic best through a fine 69, while Annabel Sutherland and Marizanne Kapp held their nerve to be unbeaten on 41 and 29 respectively as Delhi Capitals edged UP Warriorz by seven wickets in match six of WPL 2025 at the Kotambi Stadium on Wednesday.

After Kiran Navgire’s whirlwind fifty off 24 balls, Shweta Sehrawat’s 33-ball 37 and Chinelle Henry’s unbeaten 15-ball 33 powered UP Warriorz to 166/7, Meg set the foundation for DC’s chase by hitting a 49-ball 69, laced with 12 fours.

Later, Annabel and Marizanne played critical unbeaten knocks to ensure that DC completed the chase with a ball to spare and end the WPL 2025 Vadodara leg on a high. The duo and DC were also helped by a shoddy fielding performance from UPW helping them climb to second place in the points table.

Shafali Verma began DC’s chase of 167 by hitting Kranti Goud for four and six in the opening over. From the other end, Meg cut and steered Sophie Ecclestone for a brace of fours, before she and Shafali took a four each off Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Meg upped the ante by flicking Chinelle Henry for two easy fours, before creating room to cut her through backward point again and getting a similar result against Kranti as DC ended power-play at 59/0.

But shortly after that, Shafali miscued a slog off the toe-end against Deepti to deep mid-wicket and fall for a 16-ball 26. One brought two for UPW as Jemimah Rodrigues top-edged a sweep to short fine leg off Sophie and fall for a duck.

Meg, though, continued to dazzle in piercing the off-side by slapping Rajeshwari through point for raising her fifty. But in a bid to flick off Grace Harris, Meg shuffled far too across and was castled. Though Annabel and Marizanne held fort in the chase, DC still needed 32 runs off last 18 balls, and all options open in terms of which way the result would go.

But the experienced Marizanne maintained her composure to hit back-to-back boundaries off Sophie in the 18th over. On the last ball of the 19th over, Marizanne’s catch was dropped by substitute Alana King, as the equation came down to 11 runs in the final over. Annabel hit Tahlia McGrath for back-to-back fours, before the all-rounder made a mess of a run-out chase as DC got over the line, with UPW paying the price for poor fielding.

Brief Scores: UP Warriorz 166/7 (Kiran Navgire 51, Shweta Sehrawat 37; Annabel Sutherland 2-26, Minnu Mani 1-16) lost to Delhi Capitals 167/3 in 19.5 overs (Meg Lanning 69, Annabel Sutherland 41 not out; Grace Harris 1-11, Deepti Sharma 1-27) by seven wickets

--IANS

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Karachi, Feb 19 (IANS) New Zealand opened their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 campaign with a commanding 60-run victory over defending champions Pakistan at the National Bank Stadium, exposing familiar frailties in Pakistan’s batting lineup.

The result not only extended New Zealand’s dominance over Pakistan in the tournament, with a 4-0 head-to-head record, but also left the hosts facing an uphill battle in a tough Group A, where only two teams will progress to the semi-finals.

Despite losing the toss and being sent in to bat under conditions expected to favor the chasing side, New Zealand showed resilience and tactical acumen. Their top order, led by Will Young (107) and Tom Latham (118*), countered Pakistan’s early swing threat with measured stroke play.

The duo’s authoritative centuries anchored New Zealand’s innings before Glenn Phillips added a late flourish with a blistering 39-ball 61. Their collective effort powered New Zealand to an imposing 320, a total that always seemed out of Pakistan’s reach given their inconsistent batting performances in recent weeks.

Pakistan’s response was sluggish from the outset. With Fakhar Zaman unable to open due to an injury sustained while fielding, Babar Azam and Saud Shakeel had the responsibility to provide a steady start. However, Shakeel perished early, chasing a wide delivery from Will O’Rourke, while Mohammad Rizwan fell soon after, courtesy of a stunning one-handed catch by Phillips at backward point. Pakistan crawled to just 22/2 in 10 overs, marking their lowest powerplay score in ODIs since 2019.

Fakhar Zaman, despite his injury, walked in at No. 4 but struggled to rotate strike against New Zealand’s disciplined spinners. Michael Bracewell and Phillips dried up the scoring options, with Fakhar eventually falling for a labored 24 off 41 balls. Salman Agha briefly raised Pakistan’s hopes with an enterprising 42 off 28 balls, taking the attack to Phillips, but his dismissal in the 30th over left Pakistan staring at a steep climb.

New Zealand’s bowling strategy was a masterclass in defensive containment and wicket-taking pressure. After Matt Henry and O’Rourke had choked Pakistan’s top order, Santner and Bracewell took over, extracting sharp turn on a slowing Karachi surface. With over 100 dot balls in the first 25 overs, Pakistan’s innings lacked momentum. The turning point came when Santner dismissed Babar Azam for 60 off 90 balls, a painstaking effort that never truly threatened New Zealand’s hold on the game.

Santner continued to weave his magic, dismissing Haseebullah Tahir and then trapping Babar into mis-hitting a sweep shot, reducing Pakistan to 153/6 by the 34th over. With the required run rate soaring past 12, Pakistan’s defeat was all but sealed.

Despite the mounting pressure, Khushdil Shah launched a spirited counterattack, smashing 69 off 49 balls. His aggressive stroke play, particularly on the leg side, momentarily kept Pakistan’s faint hopes alive. However, New Zealand’s bowlers stuck to their plan, taking pace off the ball and keeping it wide, forcing Khushdil into a mis-hit in the 44th over. His dismissal ended Pakistan’s last real hope, and while the lower order managed a few late boundaries, it only served to reduce the margin of defeat rather than alter the outcome.

Pakistan’s inability to rotate strike and their cautious approach in the first half of the innings proved costly. Their decision to take the chase deep backfired as they found themselves well behind the required rate with limited firepower left in the latter overs. The 104 dot balls in the first 25 overs reflected their struggle to break free from New Zealand’s well-executed plans.

On the other hand, New Zealand’s disciplined bowling, intelligent use of spin, and sharp fielding were hallmarks of their comprehensive victory. Their ability to adjust to the conditions and execute their strategies flawlessly underlined their growing title credentials.

This defeat leaves Pakistan in a precarious position ahead of their high-stakes encounter against arch-rivals India. The defending champions will need to address their batting concerns quickly, particularly their lack of intent and inability to build momentum early in the innings. With Bangladesh also in their group, the road to the semi-finals has become significantly tougher, and any further slip-ups could prove costly.

New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to build on this emphatic start as they face Bangladesh next on February 24 in Rawalpindi. A win there would put them in pole position for a semi-final berth, further underlining their status as serious contenders for the title.

Brief scores: New Zealand 320/6 in 50 overs (Will Young 108, Tom Latham 118 not out, Glenn Phillips 61; Naseem Shah 2/63, Haris Rauf 2/83) beat Pakistan 260 all out in 47.2 overs (Babar Azam 60, Khushdil Shah 69; Will O’Rourke 3/47, Mitchell Santner 3/63) by 60 runs.

--IANS

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Doha, Feb 19 (IANS) Matteo Berrettini of Italy caused a huge upset in the Qatar Open 2025, beating former World No.1 Novak Djokovic in straight sets in a first-round match at the ATP 500 series event being played on the hard courts here on Tuesday. This is Berrettini's first top-10 win since 2023.

Berrettini, who is currently ranked 35th in the ATP Rankings and had a career-high rank of 6 in January 2022, survived a few anxious moments, including a couple of break points in the sixth game of the first set, before winning the match 7-6(4), 6-2 in one hour and 33 minutes. While Berrettini is unseeded here, Djokovic is the third seed and was expected to go all the way after retiring from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev with a hamstring injury last month. However, the Italian had other ideas as he served a potent display of power tennis to upset the 24-time Grand Slam winner.

In the second set, 28-year-old Berrettini broke Djokovic's serve in the second game and then again in the marathon eighth game in which he saved a game point after deuce and defeated the 37-year-old Serb on the second advantage. Berrettini won 85 per cent (40/47) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to a dazzling 95-minute victory, which was his first in their ATP head-to-head series (1-4).

Berrettini was voted ATP’s Comeback Player of the Year in 2024 after he returned from a six-month injury to claim three tour-level titles, but the 28-year-old has struggled to produce that form at the start of the 2025 season. Before his campaign in Doha, Berrettini tallied a 1-3 record. But with his bruising performance against Djokovic, during which he struck 19 forehand winners, Berrettini appeared not far from his best.

Competing in his first singles match since retiring from his Australian Open semi-final against Alexander Zverev with a hamstring injury, Djokovic moved freely in the windy Doha conditions. This was particularly evident in the fifth game, where he dug himself out of a 0/40 hole by outlasting Berrettini from the back of the court before producing an inch-perfect drop shot to hold serve. But it was ultimately not enough to stop the Italian from continuing his red-hot form in a one-sided tie-break.

Before Tuesday’s first-round clash, Djokovic had broken Berrettini’s serve 27 times in their four meetings, while the Italian had mustered a break on just four occasions. Yet, after a tie-break was required in the opening set, Berrettini broke the 37-year-old Serbian from the baseline to race to a 3-0 lead in the second set. From there, Berrettini put on a show to stun the 2016-17 champion as he secured his 10th career victory over a Top 10 opponent.

In the second round at the newly upgraded ATP 500, Berrettini will face Tallon Griekspoor, who defeated the Italian in the first round in Rotterdam earlier this month.

--IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 18 (IANS) Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Harmanpreet Kaur credited her team’s disciplined execution after they secured their first victory of the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL), defeating Gujarat Giants (GG) by five wickets at the Kotambi Stadium here on Tuesday. Chasing a modest target of 121, MI sealed the win with 23 balls to spare.

The Mumbai Indians bowlers set the tone early, restricting GG to a below-par total of 120 in 20 overs. Hayley Matthews (3-16) led the attack, with Amelia Kerr (2-22) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (2-26) providing excellent support. "Whatever we talked about in the team meetings, we executed. Really happy everything went according to our plans. The first six overs are very important. Our bowlers did a great job. We picked the right bowlers to bowl (in the first six overs) and that gave us a stable start," said Harmanpreet Kaur after the match.

GG’s batting lineup struggled from the outset, losing opener Beth Mooney for just one in the second over to Sciver-Brunt. Laura Wolvaardt followed soon after, dismissed for four by Shabnim Ismail. With wickets tumbling, Harleen Deol (32 off 31) was the only batter to show resistance. However, her dismissal in the 15th over sealed GG’s fate, and the innings ended with a run-out at 120.

Despite some early hiccups in the chase, MI remained in control. Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia started cautiously, with Matthews finding an early boundary off Ashleigh Gardner but struggling against Tanuja Kanwer’s spin. Matthews was eventually dismissed for 17, caught at square leg.

Sciver-Brunt then took charge, crafting a crucial 57 off 39 balls. Even as wickets fell— including Harmanpreet Kaur for just four —Sciver-Brunt’s composure ensured MI stayed on track. Her fifty came in style, with back-to-back boundaries off Gardner. "We need to be more consistent. We have a great team, a balanced side and we need to keep doing the right things again and again," she added.

Amelia Kerr (19 off 20) played a handy supporting role before falling lbw to Kashvee Gautam. Sajeevan Sajana and G. Kamalini finished the chase in style, with Sajana’s one-handed lofted boundary over covers sealing the win in the 17th over.

--IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 18 (IANS) Gujarat Giants (GG) skipper Ashleigh Gardner stressed the importance of a solid opening stand after her team’s five-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians (MI) in the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) at the Kotambi Stadium here on Tuesday. Mumbai Indians chased down Gujarat Giants’ target of 121 with ease, winning with 23 balls to spare.

"We just lost wickets in clumps. We put a lot of onus on the top order to score a bulk of the runs but it wasn't to be (tonight). Wicket played differently to the other two, but I don't think we necessarily adjusted fast enough. It seemed to be a little bit faster in the first ten overs. There was a bit of turn when the spinners came on and bowled slower," Gardner said after the match.

GG’s opening duo, Laura Wolvaardt, and Beth Mooney, struggled to find momentum as MI’s bowlers kept them in check. Mooney was dismissed for just 1 in the second over by Nat Sciver-Brunt, and Wolvaardt followed soon after for 4, caught at deep extra cover off Shabnim Ismail.

The early setbacks left GG reeling, and despite a fighting 32 from Harleen Deol, they could only manage 120 before being bowled out in 20 overs.

Along with Matthews’ stellar three-wicket haul, Amelia Kerr and Nat Sciver-Brunt were also key contributors to GG’s downfall. Kerr finished with two wickets for 22 runs, while Sciver-Brunt added two wickets for 26 runs, dismissing both Mooney and Deol.

"They bowled well, and we did not adjust fast. (Conversations before the next game) We have a nice, little break. Lots of time to reset. We have been talking about resetting and taking each game as it comes. Lots of positives (to take from the first three games), we could have won two. Different players have stood up at different times and the younger players have stood up, which is great to see. It is awesome and you see the passion they bowl with. Their celebrations are awesome and special to captain them, knowing they are giving their 110 percent."

Mumbai’s chase started cautiously, with Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia navigating some tight bowling from GG. Matthews, after an initial boundary off Gardner, struggled against Tanuja Kanwer’s spin before finding some momentum. However, she fell for 17, caught by Harleen Deol at square leg.

Sciver-Brunt then took charge, playing a match-winning knock of 57 off 39 balls. Despite wickets falling around her, including skipper Harmanpreet Kaur for just four runs, she kept MI on track. She reached her fifty in style with back-to-back boundaries off Gardner, before eventually playing one onto her stumps off Priya Mishra.

Sajeevan Sajana and G. Kamalini finished the game in style, with Sajana smashing a one-handed boundary over covers to seal the win in 16.1 overs.

--IANS

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Vadodara, Feb 18 (IANS) Former Champions Mumbai Indians (MI) clinched their first victory of the 2025 Women’s Premier League (WPL) with a commanding five-wicket win over Gujarat Giants (GG), chasing down a target of 121 with 23 balls to spare at the Kotambi Stadium here on Tuesday.

MI’s chase started cautiously, with Hayley Matthews and Yastika Bhatia facing a disciplined bowling effort from GG. Matthews managed an early boundary off Ashleigh Gardner but found it difficult to find fluency against Tanuja Kanwer’s spin. Deandra Dottin was introduced into the attack but struggled with her line.

Matthews eventually found some momentum, stepping out to Tanuja Kanwer to dispatch a full toss over square leg for four. However, she fell soon after, caught by Harleen Deol while attempting another shot to square leg, departing for 17 off 19 balls.

Nat Sciver-Brunt arrived at the crease and made an immediate impact, flicking a boundary off the first ball she faced. She continued to show her class, driving Dottin through point for another four. Meanwhile, Yastika Bhatia looked to anchor the innings but was dismissed for 8 off 10 balls after miscuing a shot off Priya Mishra to Laura Wolvaardt at mid-off.

At 51/3, MI skipper Harmanpreet Kaur walked in and started positively, finding the boundary with an elegant guide past point. However, she fell lbw to Kashvee Gautam for just 4 off 2 balls, putting GG back in contention. Sciver-Brunt, unfazed by the fall of wickets, kept the scoreboard ticking. She capitalised on the loose deliveries, sweeping Priya Mishra for a boundary and flicking Dottin’s slower ball towards the deep backward square leg for another four.

Amelia Kerr supported her well, hitting Mishra for a six and a four in consecutive deliveries. Sciver-Brunt reached her half-century in style, reverse-sweeping Gardner to fine third-man for a four, followed by another boundary past short fine-leg.

Just when MI seemed to be cruising, Kerr was dismissed lbw by Kashvee Gautam for 19 off 20 balls while attempting a scoop. Sajeevan Sajana walked in ahead of G. Kamalini and wasted no time, smashing a high full toss for four. Sciver-Brunt, after a brilliant 57 off 39 balls, played one onto her stumps off Priya, bringing an end to her match-winning innings. Kamalini made an immediate impact, cutting her first ball for four. Sajana then sealed the game in style, lofting a one-handed shot over covers for four, as Mumbai Indians chased down the target in 16.1 overs.

Earlier, MI put in a clinical bowling performance to bowl out Gujarat Giants (GG) for just 120 runs. Led by the all-rounder Hayley Matthews, who picked up three wickets for 16 runs, MI’s bowlers capitalised on early breakthroughs and tight lines, putting GG on the back foot throughout the innings.

Along with Matthews’ stellar three-wicket haul, Amelia Kerr and Nat Sciver-Brunt were also key contributors to GG’s downfall. Kerr finished with two wickets for 22 runs, while Sciver-Brunt added two wickets for 26 runs. For GG, Harleen Deol fought alone scoring 32 off 31. With this comprehensive five-wicket win, Mumbai Indians opened their account in the 2025 WPL, showcasing a strong all-round performance led by Sciver-Brunt’s masterclass with the bat.

Brief scores:

Gujarat Giants 120 all out in 20 overs (Harleen Deol 32, Kashvee Gautam 20; Hayley Matthews 3-16, Amelia Kerr 2-22) lost to Mumbai Indians 122/5 in 16.1 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 57, Amelia Kerr 19; Kashvee Gautam 2-15, Priya Mishra 2-40) by five wickets.

--IANS

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