Nat Sciver-Brunt shines with an all-round effort versus RCB Women
What's the story
Mumbai Indians' stand-in captain Natalie Sciver-Brunt had a great outing against Royal Challengers Bangalore in match number nine of the 2024 Women's Premier League. MI outplayed RCB in all departments, registering a comfortable seven-wicket win. Sciver-Brunt was a key figure in this victory as she bowled well and also batted with conviction to see MI home. Here's more.
Spell
A crucial spell from Sciver-Brunt
Sciver-Brunt started with the new ball and went wicket-less in her first over. However, she later returned to action and removed the in-form Sabbhineni Meghana in the fifth over of the innings. Later, the English all-rounder broke the 52-run partnership between Ellyse Perry and Georgia Wareham by removing the latter in the slog overs. She finished with decent figures of 2/27.
Knock
A dependable cameo from the all-rounder
MI had a brisk start, which made the paltry target of 132 even smaller. Sciver-Brunt walked into the middle when MI were 45/1 in 3.5 overs. She added a run-a-ball 24-run partnership with Hayley Matthews before stitching up a crucial 49-run stand with Amelia Kerr. Sciver-Brunt held one end and allowed Kerr to explode. She scored a 25-ball 27, laced with four boundaries.
Stats
400-plus runs and 15 scalps in the WPL
Playing her 14th WPL match across two seasons, the English all-rounder has amassed 419 runs. She has smashed three fifties in this competition. In WPL 2024, she owns 87 runs at 21.75. Last season, Sciver-Brunt managed 332 runs and finished as the second-highest scorer. The 31-year-old owns 15 wickets in the tournament. She picked up 10 scalps last season.
Summary
A look at the match summary
RCB were on the backfoot from the outset as they were reduced to 42/4 and from there Perry and Sophie Molineux added 29 runs before the former stitched up a 52-run stand with Wareham. Pooja Vastrakar and Sciver-Brunt shared four wickets. MI saw a combined batting effort in reply. Matthews (26) and Sciver-Brunt (27) chipped in alongside Yastika Bhatia (32) and Kerr (40*).