WPL 2023: Top five all-round shows from first week

Jess Jonassen. (Photo Source: BCCI/WPL)

The first week of the 2023 Women’s Premier League (WPL) has concluded with a terrific victory of UP Warriorz (UPW) over Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the eighth match. With Sophie Ecclestone’s 4/13 and Alyssa Healy’s unbeaten 96 off 47, UPW routed RCB in a 10-wicket triumph with seven overs to spare. After this loss, RCB are now placed at the bottom of the table with four defeats in all four games they appeared.

On the other side, MI are ruling the table with three wins in three matches. In their first game, they annihilated Gujarat Giants (GG) with swashbuckling all-round shows from some of their players. Following MI’s performance in the first week, it could be said that allrounders have been key for the team’s success. Along with MI, Delhi Capitals (DC) have also won a few games riding on the heroics of their all-rounders.

Here are five all-round performances from first week of WPL 2023:

5. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 55 (29) and 1/34 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

In the fourth game of the WPL, Nat Sciver-Brunt looked amazing for MI against RCB. Winning the toss, RCB skipper Smriti Mandhana chose to bat first as the openers created pressure on MI bowlers, maintaining the run-rate of more than 9 runs/over.

However, Saika Ishaque provided the first breakthrough to MI, removing Madhana for 23 (17). Following her removal, RCB’s batting innings got back-to-back blows as their prime batters such as Mandhana, Heather Knight and Disha Kasat capitulated in front of MI bowlers. In the end, Richa Ghosh’s 28 and some contributions from lower-order batters helped RCB to post 155 in 18.4 overs.

Chasing 156, Hayley Matthews kicked off MI’s innings in style, amassing 45 runs in the first five overs along with her opening partner Yastika Bhatia. However, Bhatia fell to Preeti Bose for 23 runs before Nat Sciver-Brunt completed the chase with Matthews. Sciver, who took 1/34, joined the Caribbean batter to assault RCB. With her knock of 55 off 29, having nine fours and a six, she played a huge role in her team’s comprehensive nine-wicket victory.

4. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 23 (18) and 2/5 against Gujarat Giants

MI signed England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt for a hefty sum of INR 3.2 crore in the 2023 WPL auction and the veteran has justified that with her performance.

Playing the first game against GG, she scored 23 off 18 with five fours. However, her best came with the ball as she initiated the assault against GG. She gave an ideal start to her team by trapping Harleen Deol in the very first over for a duck. She also removed opener Sabbineni Meghana for just two to put her team in a commanding position.

Using the momentum delivered by her, Issy Wong, Amelia Kerr and Saika Ishaque also got a chance to go hard on other GG batters to bag a remarkable victory. Sciver-Brunt ended with figures of 2-0-5-2.

 3. Jess Jonasen’s 42 (20) and 3/43 against UP Warriorz

Jess Jonassen has won a lot of games for Australia with the ball and WPL has witnessed her all-round side as well. Against UPW, Jonassen helped her team to go past 200 with her bat and made UP Warriorz skipper Alyssa Healy regret her decision to bowl first.

She stitched an unbeaten partnership of 67 runs for the fifth wicket with Jemimah Rodrigues and helped DC put up 211/4 on the board with her unbeaten knock of 42 runs off 20 deliveries.

After delivering with the bat, she chipped in with the ball as well, claiming 3/43 with the scalps of Alyssa Healy, Kiran Navgire, and Devika Vaidya. She won the Player of the Match award for her scintillating all-round performance.

2. Amelia Kerr’s 45 (24) and 2/12 against Gujarat Giants

MI were looking to kick off their journey with a bang, and the same happened as the they succeeded in vanquishing the opponents GG by 143 runs in the opening game of the league. Harmanpreet Kaur’s dashing innings of 65 (30) and Saika Ishque’s spell of 4/11 grabbed attention as the duo won the contest for MI.

However, another MI stalwart who showed her best in the game was Amelia Kerr. The youngster smashed 45 runs off just 24 deliveries at a jaw-dropping strike rate of 187.50. Her innings was studded with six fours and a maximum and her swift knock played a major role in MI setting a colossal target of 208 runs for GG.

Kerr backed herself while bowling as well, as the 22-year-old claimed figures of 2/12 in the match, clinching the scalps of Sneh Rana and Tanuja Kanwar.

1. Hayley Matthew’s 3/28 and 77 against Royal Challangers Bangalore

Hayley Matthews has been performing brilliantly for her WPL team MI. In her team’s second game of the competition, against RCB, she delivered impactful numbers with both bat and ball.

Winning the toss, RCB chose to bat first but their party was spoiled after the dismissal of Sophie Devine on 16 in the fifth over. After Devine’s wicket, RCB got another blow as they lost skipper Mandhana at the hands of Matthews. Matthews then fetched the scalps of Heather Knight and Richa Ghosh as RCB were folded for 155 in 18.4 overs.

After showing class with the ball, Matthews exuded confidence with the bat and took her team home with her match-winning 77 off just 38. For her above-par all-round display, she also received the Player of the Match award.