The Perry show floors Mumbai, puts RCB in playoffs
Allrounder smashes the record for best figures in the WPL, before producing a vital unbeaten 40 to snuff out Warriorz and Giants' top-three hopes
Allrounder smashes the record for best figures in the WPL, before producing a vital unbeaten 40 to snuff out Warriorz and Giants' top-three hopes
Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar
10:50pm That will be a wrap from us. Almost everything has been decided but there is still one fine detail left to be sorted out. The Delhi Capitals are heavy favourites to finish top, but there exists a mathematical scenario where they lose and their NRR slips below that of the Mumbai Indians. Very slim chance, but that is what will be at stake tomorrow as they look for momentum before the playoffs, and the Gujarat Giants hope to finish their campaign on a high. Do join us for that game too. Until then, this is goodbye from all of us here at ESPNcricinfo!
Ellyse Perry, Player of the Match: Sometimes, it just goes your way. Really nice to play a great match with the girls. It was an important game and nice to get a win over them - first time in the competition. I really enjoyed bowling. Sometimes, I am just getting walloped all around the ground, then some days it is like this. The ball nipped around a little bit and it was fun. (On if her all-round game is at her best) The games are coming thick and fast and you don't know. You turn up and have a go. I loved that partnership with Richa. It was a tricky chase, not the easiest wicket tonight. We have grown through the tournament. We are getting used to the conditions and looking forward to the chance (of playing a playoff) in a couple of days' time. We are going to have another tough opponent, same opponent next game but good to be there (in the playoffs).
Smriti Mandhana, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain: (How they turned things around) The last match, losing by one run, is not a great thing, given the effort everyone put. That was the whole conversation that one run does not make us a bad team. We played good cricket that day as well. We had a good training session yesterday and wanted to come back. They had a good start. Sajana batted well, even Hayley had a good start. There was calmness today. We were not rushed. Good effort and the way Pez bowled, it was brilliant to watch. Today's match was very important for us to get going. From the time we came to Delhi, we had two tough losses and wanted to play good cricket today. For her (Perry) to come back and take those six wickets, I was just going 'wow'. We spoke about today being a quarter-final. We did not think about the scenarios, wanted to win and just qualify. Would not have been a good thing to qualify without winning this match, really happy we could do that.
Harmanpreet Kaur, Mumbai Indians captain: She bowled very well today. None of us took the responsibility to bat deep. We tried our best (with the ball). Unfortunately, we dropped some chances. Our bowlers were giving their 100% but there were not enough runs on the board. We did not bat according to how she was bowling. But she (Perry) bowled really well, we should give credit to them. Today's game will teach us a lot of things. We will sit together and see how we make our plans for the next game.
Richa Ghosh: (On her approach) I wanted to take my time before going for my shots. When I was keeping, I saw the pitch was low and slow. (On the heartbreak in the last match) Everyone was sad but everyone cheered me up. We knew we still had a game to play and that we would qualify if we won it. (On Perry's spell) It was superb. It was really great.
10:26pm RCB do it at a canter in the end. Perry, like she was in the first innings, was there all the way. Ghosh, having been accorded an early reprieve, grew into her knock and finishes with 36 off 28. Before that, though, there was a wobble, with Mandhana, Molineux and Devine perishing cheaply.
At that point, the defending champions would have felt they were in the game. The drop of Ghosh, though, proved decisive, and that seemed to tilt the scales completely in RCB's favour. No more calculations needed for them now, and they can rest up before the Eliminator on Friday (most likely against this very opposition).
A very bad day at the office for MI. They did not help themselves in the field either. Their bowlers did give them a sniff (albeit very briefly) and they will be happy with the fight shown, especially at the start. But that was about it, and that perhaps sums up just how pear-shaped this evening went for them.
Just three needed now. Can she finish it this over?
Just seven needed now
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Allrounder smashes the record for best figures in the WPL, before producing a vital unbeaten 40 to snuff out Warriorz and Giants' top-three hopes