Ten days into the second edition of the Women’s Premier League there are just two points separating the five teams with defending champions Royal Challengers Women atop the log on run-rate ahead of the powerful Mumbai Indians Women and Delhi Capitals Women, although Delhi have played four games to the others three.
But UP Warriors and Gujarat Giants Women both have a solitary victory from their three games played and there are clearly no favourites or underdogs for the knockout rounds at this stage although RCB and MI have displayed intimidating power in their two victories.
Match of the week: It was hard to look beyond the Mumbai Indians Women getting past the Royal Challengers Bengaluru Women with just four wickets and a single ball remaining at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaulru. Ellyse Perry’s brilliant 81 from just 43 balls set RCB on their way to an impressive 167-7 but captain Harmanpreet Kaur (50) kept Mumbai in the hunt. But at 144-6 with 24 runs required from the final 15 balls the match was in the balance but Amanjot Kaur (34*) and 16-year-old No 8 G.Kamalini (11*) kept their nerves to get the job done.
Batter of the week: Honours even between Smriti Mandhana and Ellyse Perry, both of whom scored 81 off 47 and 43 balls respectively for MI Women and RCB Women – the first led to victory but the second fell just short.
Bowler of the week: West Indian off-spinning allrounder, Hayley Matthews, has been the most consistently in-form player in the Women’s game for the last couple of years with a seemingly endless flow of match-winning performances at domestic and international level. Her 3-16 helped MI Women swat away the Gujarat Giants Women for just 120 – although she was helped by Shabnim Ismail’s 1-17 from her four overs.
Play of the week: A player’s strength can also be their weakness and it was never more obvious than with Proteas captain Laura Wolvaardt’s famed and fabled cover drive. Few bowlers know her strength as well as former Proteas teammate, Shabnim Ismail, who set an unusual Power Play field with a deep backward point and bowled a delicious, wide half volley and duly watched the current national captain lash it straight to the fielder.
What to look forward to: A slow start by pre-tournament underdogs, UP Warriorz, was mitigated by a resounding 33-run victory against Delhi on Saturday – they face favourites RCB and MI at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday and Wednesday in two games which could either eliminate them or turn the tournament on its head.