Bangalore got off to a poor start with the bat, losing 4/49. Sophie Devine (10) was bowled by Hayley Matthews, while skipper Smriti Mandhana (10) was caught on the fence off Nat Sciver-Brunt’s bowling. Disha Kasat (0) chipped a simple catch off Saika Ishaque’s bowling, while Richa Ghosh (14) also perished in her endeavor to go after Mathews.
Perry lifted RCB, smashing eight fours and a six in yet another impressive knock. Georgia Wareham (18 not out off 10) played a good cameo, which included a last-ball six of Ishaque’s bowling. For Mumbai Indians, Matthews, Brunt and Ishaque picked up two wickets each.
In the chase, Mumbai Indians lost Matthews for 15 as she mistimed an attempted big hit off Shreyanka. Yastika Bhatia (19) was then bowled by Perry as she played inside the line of a delivery. Wareham struck a telling blow when she knocked over Sciver-Brunt (23), who tried to play one across the line.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (33 off 30) and Amelia Kerr (27 not out off 25) added 52 runs for the fourth wicket to put Mumbai Indians in a great position to book their place in the final. However, RCB’s spinners dominated the last three overs to send their team into the summit clash against Delhi Capitals (DC).
Harmanpreet was caught in the deep as she couldn’t get her timing right on a big hit off Shreyanka’s bowling. S Sajana (1 off 3) was stumped off Sophie Molineux’s (1/16) bowling in the penultimate over. With 12 needed off six balls, Asha Sobhana bowled a brilliant last over, not conceding a boundary. She had Pooja Vastrakar (4) stumped off the fourth ball as Kerr could only watch the match slip away from the non-striker’s end.
“Still this feeling has not sunk in. At the halfway mark, we felt we were 20 runs short. But the way we bowled and fielded was amazing. 130 is a total where you are not sure whether to attack or defend, but the last over from Asha was unreal,” RCB captain Mandhana said, while reflecting on the game.
--By A Cricket Correspondent