In the first innings of the WPL 2024 Eliminator between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Friday, March 15, all-rounder Ellyse Perry led the team’s batting effort as the team recorded a total of 135/6 in 20 overs.
In an attempt to make the WPL Final again in a row, the reigning champion Mumbai Indians have set a 136-run goal for the Royal Challengers Bangalore to pursue.
Smriti Mandhana, the captain of RCB, decided to bat first against MI. Mandhana and Sophie Devine, the opening duo, gave the RCB innings a strong start before Hayley Matthews knocked the latter out for 10 at 20/1. In rapid succession, Nat Sciver-Brunt dismisses Mandhana for 10 at 20/2, costing Royal Challengers Bangalore another wicket.
When Saika Ishaque removed Disha Kasat for a duck at 23/3, the RCB’s batting collapsed even further. Following Kasat’s out, Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh joined Kasat at the middle of the crease to continue the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings.
When Ghosh was removed for 14 by Hayley Matthews at 49/4, the two were hoping to establish a solid partnership. Richa Ghosh was batting at a strike rate of 73.68, which made it difficult for her to take speed bowlers.
Ellyse Perry leads the RCB comeback with a dynamic half century
Following the removal of Richa Ghosh, Sophie Molineux and Ellyse Perry took over at the crease to continue RCB’s batting. Perry, however, fought alone, even if Molineux gave her some assistance.
Royal Challengers Bangalore’s batting was dominated by Perry and Molineur until Nat Sciver-Brunt dismissed the latter for 11 at 84/5, taking Mumbai Indians’ fifth wicket. Ellyse Perry continued the RCB innings after that, scoring her second fifty of the year in 40 balls.
Throughout the last overs, Ellyse Perry pushed the innings and kept the Royal Challengers Bangalore scoreboard moving. Perry put up a valiant 66 off 50 balls at a strike rate of 132 before being bowled out by Saika Ishaque at 126/6.
Nine runs were added to the total by RCB with four balls remaining in the penultimate over of the first innings, including a six from Georgia Wareham in the last ball. With Wareham and Shreyanka Patil batting on 18 and 3, respectively, RCB eventually recorded a total of 135/6.
Shaika Ishaque, Hayley Matthews, and Nat Sciver-Brunt all claimed two wickets for the Mumbai Indians. The most economical bowlers were Matthews and Sciver-Brunt, who both gave up 18 runs at an economy rate of 4.2.
