'Katherine is..': Nat Sciver-Brunt reflects on her historic WPL hundred
What's the story
Nat Sciver-Brunt, the vice-captain of Mumbai Indians, made history by scoring the first-ever century in the Women's Premier League (WPL). She achieved this milestone in a crucial match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Monday in Vadodara. Her unbeaten 100 off just 57 balls helped MI win by a comfortable margin of 15 runs and keep their playoff hopes alive.
Dual significance
Sciver-Brunt's century: A personal and team achievement
Sciver-Brunt's century was not just a personal milestone but also a major contribution to her team's total. She came in at number three when MI were struggling at 16/1 and formed a massive 131-run partnership with Hayley Matthews in just 73 balls. Later, she added another quick-fire 42 runs off 25 balls with skipper Harmanpreet Kaur. This helped MI post a strong total of 199/4, which proved enough for victory despite losing two set batters later on.
Family tribute
Sciver-Brunt dedicates her century to family
After her historic innings, Sciver-Brunt dedicated the milestone to her wife Katherine and son Theodore with a 'T' celebration. "Just a little nod to home," the centurion told the broadcaster mid-innings. "Katherine is obviously watching. Well, hopefully. She's actually a really nervous watcher, so she's probably not watching but she wanted a 'T' and she wanted me to get three figures." "I'd seen a few players get out in the 90s, so I didn't want to replicate that," she added.
Accolades
Sciver-Brunt's performance earns praise from teammates and opponents
Her teammate Matthews praised Sciver-Brunt for her performance and consistency over the years. "It was definitely nice to watch from the other end when she was going four after four after four," said Matthews. RCB captain Smriti Mandhana also acknowledged Sciver-Brunt's world-class skills, saying "Nat is definitely a world-class player." Even RCB head coach Malolan Rangarajan lauded her innings, saying "Nat played one of those innings where she was putting away even the good balls."
Top scorer
Sciver-Brunt leads WPL 2025 run charts
With this innings, Sciver-Brunt has now become the leading run-scorer in WPL 2025 with a total of 319 runs in six innings at an average of 79.75 and a strike rate just short of 155. She is now way ahead of the second-best on the list, her MI teammate Harmanpreet Kaur, by a whopping margin of 59 runs.