Matthews blows Royal Challengers Bangalore away with all-round present

With a stellar all-round present on the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, Matthews gave all people, not least the noisy stand subsequent to the sightscreen on the commentators’ field finish, a well mannered reminder of the brilliance she will conjure up. One that continues to present West Indies hope as they appear to rise from a lowish part.

Royal Challengers have been achieved in virtually single-handedly by Matthews. After an 11-run opening over, through which Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine hit a 4 and a six respectively, she got here again within the final over of the powerplay to dismiss Mandhana. She tossed one up outdoors off, engaging Mandhana to present her the cost earlier than the dip and switch meant that the batter sliced it to level. On the very subsequent ball, she slipped in a full one which went underneath Heather Knight’s flick to dismiss her for a first-ball duck.

Matthews had helped Mumbai win the primary little bit of the arm-wrestle towards Royal Challangers.

Matthews dashed any semblance of these hopes. She used the width offered by Renuka Singh to steer one previous level within the opening over earlier than flicking one by sq. leg within the third. She then heaved left-arm spinner Preeti Bose over deep sq. leg earlier than going again to a half-tracker and punching it over covers.

Megan Schutt, who earlier scored a 14-ball 20, was subsequent in Matthews’ firing line. Matthews first punched one by the covers earlier than timing the straight drive previous the bowler as Mumbai cruised to 54 for 1 on the finish of the powerplay, with Bose trapping Bhatia for the one wicket within the part.

Even after the fielding restrictions have been lifted, Matthews hit Renuka for 2 fours in an over and ultimately introduced up her half-century – after narrowly lacking out within the opening encounter – off simply 26 balls with Mumbai on 95 for 1 on the ten-over mark. Nat Sciver-Brunt’s canter was decreased to a postscript.

Thereon, Mumbai knocked off the remaining 61 runs in 26 balls to register a second thumping win. Matthews was strolling again with an enormous smile and an unbeaten 77 off simply 38 balls with Nat contributing 55 not out off 29.

After these exploits, solely two phrases clarify Matthews discovering no picks within the first spherical of the WPL public sale – “auction dynamics”.