Four matches, three wins, six points, a net run-rate of +0.78 – Mumbai Indians have officially topped the table at this halfway stage in the WPL season. And it was done in some style. With plenty of swagger as we romped home in the chase.

Mumbai-Kerr opens the door, Sanskriti smashes it down

At one stage, the UP Warriorz seemed to be bossing their innings after being put into bat with Grace Harris and Vrinda Dinesh putting up a 79-run-stand in just 52 balls for the second wicket. But once Amelia Kerr got Grace to mistime one to the deep with her quicker one, the door was flung open for Sanskriti Gupta to pluck a couple more wickets with her offies in quick time and firmly bring MI back into the contest.

Comeback? Not with Nat around!

From 81/1, the Warriorz slipped to 135/9, with Nat Sciver-Brunt being the destructor-in-chief. She’d already gotten the wicket of the big-hitter, Kiran Navgire, in the first over of the innings, and then returned in her second spell to snap a couple more and finish with figures of 3/18 in her four overs. Shabnim Ismail joined the fun too, cleaning up the tail and ensuring the target of 143 was well within reach.

And Nat again, with Hayley joining the show

It wasn’t the best of starts in the chase for the Mumbai Indians, with Yastika Bhatia not quite being able to get going. Hayley Matthews too was tentative at first. Not Nat. She started off with three successive boundaries off the bowling of Saima Thakor, firmly brought the momentum back into our camp, and never looked back. The shots kept flowing, records kept tumbling, and before you knew it, she’d already gotten her fifty. Hayley wasn’t to be left behind. She played second fiddle at first, but then quickly upped gears and went on a smash-a-thon of her own, finishing with yet-another fifty to her name.

We’ve nailed the three-wins-on-the-trot hat-trick, Paltan! Things are looking real good as we head into the second half and more into the business end. Let’s keep the victory ritual going..