Mumbai Indians (MI) staged a strong comeback with the ball to secure a crucial win, bringing them closer to a third consecutive playoff appearance while pushing UP Warriorz (UPW) to the verge of elimination from WPL 2025. Amelia Kerr led the charge with a stellar five-wicket haul as MI dismantled UPW, taking 9 for 76 to restrict them to 150 for 9. MI then comfortably chased down the target with six wickets in hand and nine balls to spare.
UPW had their best start of the tournament, thanks to Georgia Voll’s explosive half-century in just her second WPL match. After a duck on debut, she bounced back with a brisk 55 off 33 balls, setting a solid foundation. However, UPW failed to capitalize, crumbling from 74 for 0 to 125 for 7, with MI’s spinners accounting for eight of the nine wickets.
In response, Hayley Matthews anchored the chase with her second half-century of the season, forging a match-winning 92-run stand with Nat Sciver-Brunt. Matthews, who had already scored a 50-ball 59 against UPW last week in Bengaluru, followed it up with a commanding 46-ball 68 in Lucknow, sealing MI’s victory.
With this win, MI climbed to second place on the points table with eight points and a net run rate of 0.267 after six matches. Their next fixture is against Gujarat Giants, who currently sit third with six points from six games and an NRR of 0.357.
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MI Pacers Rely on Variations Over Raw Pace
Shabnim Ismail, who set the record for the fastest delivery in women’s cricket last year, and Nat Sciver-Brunt, known for her swing at speeds in the early 110s (kph), opted for a different approach at the Ekana Stadium.
Despite conditions favoring quick bowlers with the new ball, the MI pace duo relied on offcutters on the red-soil pitch. Ismail initially attempted to unsettle Georgia Voll with a classic one-two trick but soon shifted to taking pace off. Meanwhile, Sciver-Brunt’s well-disguised cutters made scoring difficult in the early exchanges.
A Dynamic Opening Stand: Harris & Voll Set the Tone
In their seventh match of WPL 2025, UPW introduced their third opening pair, reuniting former Brisbane Heat teammates Grace Harris and Georgia Voll at the top. The first ball of the innings startled Harris, rising sharply from a short-of-good-length outside off and striking high on her bat. Anticipating a bouncer, Voll instead faced a series of full deliveries from Shabnim Ismail, briefly unsettling her. However, she quickly adapted, dispatching three boundaries in five balls after getting off the mark.
While Voll played the aggressor, Harris provided steady support, closing the powerplay with back-to-back fours off left-arm spinner Parunika Sisodia, who replaced Jintimani Kalita in the MI lineup. UPW finished the powerplay at 50 without loss—their best start of the season—before Voll raced to a superb half-century in just 29 balls.
UPW’s Familiar Batting Collapse Strikes Again
Georgia Voll started aggressively, smashing Amelia Kerr for three boundaries before adding another off Hayley Matthews. Grace Harris also got in on the act, capitalizing on a misjudgment from Shabnim Ismail at long-on to clear the ropes for her only six. However, Matthews soon turned the tide, using her well-disguised bouncer to dismiss Harris, who miscued a steer-pull to short fine leg.
Kiran Navgire’s wild charge at Kerr resulted in a second-ball duck, and UPW’s hopes took a major hit when Nat Sciver-Brunt trapped Voll with a failed scoop attempt. From there, the innings unraveled, with Deepti Sharma left fighting a lone battle. Vrinda Dinesh, Chinelle Henry, Shweta Sehrawat, and Uma Chetry all perished trying to take on the MI spinners. With Deepti managing just two boundaries in her 25-ball 27, UPW limped to a mere 61 runs in their last ten overs.
Matthews, Sciver-Brunt Steer MI to Comfortable Win
As the WPL’s most successful chasing side, Mumbai Indians (MI) were never likely to be troubled by a 151-run target. However, they had a concern at the top—Yastika Bhatia had managed just 38 runs in six innings before this match. In a tactical move, MI promoted Amelia Kerr to open alongside Hayley Matthews, but the experiment backfired. After striking a couple of boundaries, Kerr miscued a back-of-a-length delivery from Chinelle Henry straight to mid-on.
Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt then took charge, accelerating the scoring with dew aiding their cause. Deepti Sharma was seen frequently using a towel to dry the ball inside the powerplay, while Kranti Goud initially extracted movement similar to Henry, forcing Matthews into a few mistimed strokes. However, a costly 16-run over from Gouher Sultana gave MI the momentum they needed.
A standout moment came when Henry squared up her West Indies teammate Matthews with a sharp bouncer, exchanging a few playful words. Matthews responded in style, charging down the pitch to a short ball and launching it into the deep midwicket stands with a grin.
Despite losing three late wickets, MI comfortably closed out the game, with Bhatia—batting at No. 6—finding form at the right moment. She struck two crucial boundaries off Voll and Deepti to seal the win. With this result, UPW suffered their second consecutive defeat in their “home leg” in Lucknow, leaving their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.
FAQs
How did Mumbai Indians secure their win against UP Warriorz in WPL 2025?
Mumbai Indians (MI) staged a strong comeback with the ball, led by Amelia Kerr’s five-wicket haul, restricting UP Warriorz to 150/9. Hayley Matthews and Nat Sciver-Brunt then guided MI to a comfortable six-wicket win with nine balls to spare.
What was UP Warriorz’s best start of WPL 2025, and who contributed to it?
Georgia Voll and Grace Harris provided UPW with their best start of the season, reaching 50/0 in the powerplay. Voll smashed a quickfire half-century in just 29 balls.
How did UP Warriorz collapse after a strong start?
After reaching 74/0, UPW crumbled to 125/7 as MI spinners dominated. Key dismissals included Voll’s failed scoop against Sciver-Brunt and Kiran Navgire’s reckless charge at Kerr.
Why did MI promote Amelia Kerr to open the batting?
With Yastika Bhatia struggling for form, MI experimented by sending Kerr to open alongside Matthews. However, the move backfired as she fell early to Chinelle Henry.
What was the standout moment between Chinelle Henry and Hayley Matthews?
Henry troubled her West Indies teammate Matthews with a sharp bouncer and some friendly banter. In response, Matthews walked down the pitch and smashed a short ball into the stands with a grin.
