MUMBAI has made it two from two in this year’s Women’s Premier League, this time comfortably defeating the Gujarat Giants by five wickets. The Giants were restricted to 9/126, before the Indians reached the target with 11 balls to spare.

Gujarat did not start its innings off well, losing two wickets inside the first three overs, and it was a sign of things to come. The only partnership of any kind of substance was the 48-run eighth wicket one, with most partnerships in the single figures.

It was Tanuja Kanwar who top scored for the Giants with 28, while Kathryn Bryce made 25 and Beth Mooney made 24. Ash Gardner’s 15 was the only other score in double figures.

For the reigning champions it was a pair of international stars who topped the wicket tally. Amelia Kerr took four scalps, while Shabnim Ismail took three. Natalie Sciver-Brunt and Hayley Matthews also both chipped in with a wicket each.

Mumbai had a similarly shaky start to its chase, but were scoring at a much quicker pace from the start than Gujarat had been.

However, a 66-run fourth wicket partnership between Kerr and Harmanpreet Kaur swung things firmly in Mumbai’s favour, and although the Indians cut things a little fine in terms of reaching the tally, that partnership meant they could afford to take it a little bit easier at the back end of the innings.

Mumbai’s job was made easier with the Giants conceding 15 extras, which was only one less than the Indians themselves had conceded. Kaur led the way on the runs front with 46 from 41 balls, while Kerr made 31 and Sciver-Brunt scored 22.

Meanwhile for the Giants it was Kanwar who also topped the wicket taking tally with two wickets to her name, while Bryce and Lea Tahuhu picked up a wicket each.