The home team defeats Royal Challengers Bangalore by 9 wickets thanks to an all-around
performance (3 wickets & an unbroken 77 off 38).
For a time now, Hayley Matthews has been the one bright spot on the West Indies team.
Hayley is a very effective off-spinner, athletic on the field, and most importantly, devastating
with the bat at the top. She possesses a full arsenal. She is highly sought after in T20
leagues around the world for the same reason that many of her male counterparts are. The
24-year-all-around old’s performance on Monday, which included three wickets and an
unbeaten 77 off 38, helped Mumbai Indians easily defeat Royal Challengers.At the
Brabourne Stadium, Bangalore.
Hayley, who is only 24 years old, has been destined for greater things ever since she
emerged on the scene as a young prodigy, and nothing best demonstrated this than the
45-ball 66 she scored against Australia in the 2016 T20 World Cup final, the only time the
latter team has lost in the match that determines the champion.
In Barbados, Hayley played on the boys’ team for her high school, which she later led in
competitions there. She batted alongside West Indies men’s team opener Shai Hope in the
Barbados First Division of cricket when she was 13 and captained the Under-13 boys squad.
Hayley has fluctuated in performance at the senior level, although she appears to be
maturing.and her at-bat on Monday was another proof of it. As Mumbai Indians chased down
their goal of 156 with nine wickets in hand and 34 balls remaining, Hayley was in complete
control of the game from the first ball to the final ball.
It was a commanding performance of the kind that elevates Mumbai Indians to the forefront
of title contenders. Mumbai were everything that Royal Challengers Bangalore weren’t, from
their strategy—starting with spin against Smriti Mandhana, for instance—to their fielding and
batting intensity. Bangalore played an odd encounter, electing to bat first against the
opposition after winning the toss in conditions where dew would eventually play a part.a
team with a wide range of batsmen.
Bangalore’s strategy was daring from the off because runs on board were the crucial factor.
Their inability to alter the tempo, though, ultimately proved to be their worst failing with the
bat. Every time they lost a wicket, they counterattacked with audacity. While it occasionally
succeeded, it cost them dearly, as evidenced by the wickets of Mandhana, Disha Kasat, and
Heather Knight, who all fell within the space of seven deliveries following Sophie Devine’s
demise.
Recovering RCB
At 43/4, it appeared that Bangalore would struggle to even reach a decent total.To lift the
team to 155, Elysse Perry, Richa Ghosh, Kanika Ahuja, Shreyanka Patil, and Megan Schutt
all successfully swung the long handle. Bangalore’s short innings (18.4 overs) demonstrated
how tight their strategy was.
Mumbai didn’t need to display their batting prowess in the 156-run chase, but Hayley
undoubtedly demonstrated her abilities. On a pitch that suits her game, Hayley was at her
free-flowing best, liberated by a solid middle-order presence. The batting-friendly tracks suit
her style of play better than the slow, low pitches she encounters at home, and what stuck
out was how early she chose the length and how effectively she controlled the tempo of the
game.Hayley was just unstoppable after she mastered the pitch and the attack. She scored
13 fours and one six while making effective use of the short boundaries.
The pitch was fairly decent for batting. Prior to the game, we believed that 170-180 would be
considered standard. We anticipated a spectacular finish after the first innings. Because of
our strong batting depth, Nat Sciver-Brunt and I were able to secure a good victory,
according to Hayley.
If Hayley was playing a lightning-quick knock, Sciver-Brunt was also in her zone because
only a remarkable Hayley knock could overshadow her unbeaten 29-ball 55.
