Gujarat Giants vs Mumbai Indians Live Score, WPL 2024: Yastika, Matthews off to flying start in 128-run chase

Meghna Singh to bowl the second. Couple of wayward deliveries to start the over. Mooney has no fielders up close to try and intimidate or inconvenience the opponent batters. Yastika gets her first boundary as Meghna goes down leg. Too simple for Yastika. Hayley Matthews is not to be left behind as she pulls Meghna for four, beating a diving fielder in the circle at midwicket. 

Ashleigh Gardner begins the defence for Gujarat. Spin up front. Kathryn Bryce said there is something in the wicket for everyone and that’s what Gujarat seems to be banking on. She wasn’t wrong about it. Gardner gets massive turn with one even racing past Mooney to the boundary. Seven runs off the first. 

A 48-run stand from 36 balls for the eighth wicket helps Giants to 127. Here’s what Bryce had to say about the game: 

It was really good to get that partnership. The pitch is a little tricky and is doing a bit off the seam still. 

(About the score they were looking at) Probably around the 150-160 mark. Did not get off to the best start and that made things tricky. Shabnim Ismail’s cutters were getting something out of the pitch. If you use your variations, it is going to be tough for the batters to get going. 

Amelia Kerr will bowl the final over. Tanuja Kanwar gets a boundary through backward point. But Kerr has her wicket as Yastike stumps Kanwar. She was out by a mile. Kerr sends one going outside off. Kanwar walks down the track and swings but misses. Too easy for Yastika. Kerr removes her compatriot Lea Tahuhu two balls later, off the final ball of the innings. 127 to win for Mumbai Indians. 

Matthews to bowl out. Kanwar begins with a four through the short fine leg boundary. Kathryn Bryce follows that up with a six. 13 runs come off the over. Positive for the Giants. 

Keerthana returns. Tanuja Kanwer uses this over to free her arms a little, with a boundary through extra cover and mid off. 10 runs off this over for the Giants as this Bryce-Kanwer partnership steadies the innings.

Hayley Matthews is brought back for her third over. Just four runs. conceded as Matthews keeps maintains her length to tighten any scope for runs. 

Kerr returns. A potential chance to remove Bryce is lost as Yastika grasses the ball. Four runs come off the over. 

Keerthana Balakrishnan returns. A few quiet balls later, Bryce frees the scoring a bit with a boundary through short fine leg. Seven runs come off the over for Gujarat Giants. 

Amelia Kerr comes in to bowl. The pressure is mounting on Gardner. She pulls looking for a boundary but first finds the fielder at square leg. Shabnim Ismail’s quota of overs may be up but she comes in to help Kerr dismiss Gardner. The Aussie allrounder miscues a tempting offer outside off and sends the ball high. Ismail takes a neat catch. Sneh Rana is the next batter in but will last only for two deliveries, as Kerr knocks her stumps down. Duck for the Giants vice captain. Some relief for Gujarat as Tanuja Kanwar, the new batters. sees the over through with a boundary through fine leg. 

WICKETS Ashleigh Gardner c Ismail b Kerr 15 (22b 2x4 0x6) SR: 68.18; Sneh Rana b Kerr 0 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

Vastrakar to bowl the 13th. Gardner sends a fullish deliver to the boundary ropes between mid on and mid wicket. She has a close shave moments later as she swings at a dolly from Vastrakar but misses as it heads to the keeper. Six runs come off the over. 

Saika Ishaque comes in for her first over. Ashleigh Gardner sends one going to the boundary ropes past the umpire. First boundary in a little over 7 overs for Gujarat. 

GG loses its fifth wicket. Beth Mooney has to go after Shabnim Ismail returns to bowl her final over for the day. She bowls full towards that leg stump yet again but slightly slow. Yastika Bhatia takes care of it behind the stumps as Mooney produces the faintest of edges. Gujarat in deep deep trouble. Kathryn Bryce is the new batter in. 

WICKET Beth Mooney c †Bhatia b Ismail 24 (22b 2x4 0x6) SR: 109.09

Keerthana Balakrishnan into the attack right after the timeout. The right arm leg spinner starts with three dot balls. Ash Gardner is not taking any chances. Good start for the bowler as just two runs come off it. 

Pooja Vastrakar gets her first over of the evening and immediately shouts for lbw. The ball’s going into Ash Gardner but this looks like it’ll go above the stumps. Vastrakar concedes just three runs. Not looking too good for the Giants at the moment. 

Hayley Matthews returns and brings up wicket number four, removing D Hemalatha. She was looking uncertain about the length throughout the over and tries to muscle her way through it. with an aerial attempt over long on. But it lands in the safe hands of Amelia Kerr. Matthews has her first wicket of WPL 2024. 

3 RUNS SCORED, 1 WICKET FALLS. 

WICKET Dayalan Hemalatha c Kerr b Matthews 3 (8b 0x4 0x6) SR: 37.5

Amelia Kerr comes into the attack. A few deliveries, she has a big chance! THAT BALL would have HIT THE STUMPS. Hemalatha herself takes a few seconds to realise what’s happened as the ball passes excruciatingly close to the stumps before zooming past the keeper to the fence. Byes called. Seven runs come off the seventh over. Gujarat Giants bring up the team fifty.

Nat Sciver Brunt is back and she has removed the dangerous Phoebe Litchfield who holes out to Keerthana Balakrishnana at short third. Lovely off cutter from NSB. 

Hematha is the new batter in and boy, do these two have a tough task on hand! 

WICKET Phoebe Litchfield c Keerthana b Nat Sciver-Brunt 7 (8b 1x4 0x6) SR: 87.5

Ismail bowls her third straight over. A fair amount of caution on display from this duo as they try and see Ismail off safely. The whole world knows Litchfield is fine with an awkward looking switch hit if it’ll do the trick. Ismail with all her experience is sticking to the basics and happy about Litchfield not being able to dispatch her to the boundary. 

Hayley Matthews comes into the attack. Mooney feels her out in the first delivery and then gets back to back boundaries, one over backward point and the other nudged through the keeper and first slip. Litchfield also finds the boundary a few deliveries later and she’s whipped out the reverse sweep for this one. Gorgeous. 

Ismail returns. She’s trying to draw an error from Harleen Deol and switches between length and full length deliveries. She goes short next and then follows it up with a back of the length delivery that went straight in. Harleen is plumb in front and Ismail has her second wicket. This one was also traveling inwards to top of leg. Charlotte Edwards has her hands up in the dugout. -Phoebe Litchfield is the new batter in and is off the mark right away with a single. Ismail then goes short and the ball goes over Mooney’s head to the boundary. Wide called. 

WICKET Harleen Deol lbw b Ismail 8 (9b 0x4 1x6) SR: 88.88

Nat Sciver-Brunt will share new ball duties with Ismail. She starts with a hint of swing. Harleen then pulls NSB for a sleek six of backward square leg. Gujara wlll need more of this against the kind of hefty batting lineup Mumbai has. Mooney tries to clear the field but the fielder at backward point makes her rush back to her crease. Seven runs come off the over. 

Beth Mooney and Veda Krishnamurthy will get Gujarat underway. Veda is a home girl and has played a lot of cricket at this venue. She will want to make it count here in her team’s opening fixture. Shabnim Ismail will get things going for MI. Mooney gets off the mark straightaway with a couple of runs. Veda looks a bit unsteady as she tries to read the South African’s lines. Ismail then appeals for lbw. Umpire’s finger goes up. Gujarat Giants review. The initial images see her plumb, with the ball potentially heading towards the top of leg. The decision stands. Veda’s WPL debut off to a dismal start with a duck. Harleen is the new batter and is off the mark with a single. 

WICKET Veda Krishnamurthy lbw b Ismail 0 (2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0

Gujarat Giants will get their campaign started on a fresh pitch. This one is a bit greener and will be perfect for a chase-happy MI outfit. Gujarat Giants will need to get a massive score on board to keep MI at bay. 

After a last-place finish and losing its skipper to injury in the inaugural edition, Gujarat Giants and captain Beth Mooney are raring to make amends this time. “I can tell you I’ve done a fair few calf raises this week since I got here, so hopefully we avoid that again,” Mooney said cheekily. “Whilst it was disappointing last year I’m very grateful and lucky to be given an opportunity again to lead the team,” she added. 

Not much went the Giants’ way in 2023 as the outfit finished dead last. Frustrating results and an injury to her fingers notwithstanding, Sneh’s confidence never wavered as she carried her team through a trying first attempt in the tournament.

Read the full interview here. 

Our failures don’t define us, says Sneh Rana as Gujarat Giants looks to turn tide in WPL 2024

Not much went the Giants’ way in 2023 as the outfit finished dead last. Frustrating results and an injury to her fingers notwithstanding, Sneh’s confidence never wavered as she carried her team through a trying first attempt in the tournament.

Gujarat Giants

Beth Mooney(w/c), Veda Krishnamurthy, Phoebe Litchfield, Harleen Deol, Ashleigh Gardner, Dayalan Hemalatha, Sneh Rana, Tanuja Kanwar, Kathryn Bryce, Lea Tahuhu Meghna Singh 

Mumbai Indians

Hayley Matthews, Yastika Bhatia(w), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Amanjot Kaur, S Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Keerthana Balakrishnan, Saika Ishaque

Harmanpreet Kaur wins the toss and Mumbai Indians will bowl first.

Wooden spoon holder in 2023, Gujarat Giants will have its task cut out when it takes on defending champion Mumbai Indians to start its Women’s Premier League 2024 campaign at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium today.

Read the full preview by Mayank here

- Five teams will face off against each other in the nearly month-long tournament

- Mumbai Indians is the defending champion

- Captains of the teams: 

Mumbai Indians: Harmanpreet Kaur

Delhi Capitals: Meg Lanning

UP Warriorz: Alyssa Healy

Gujarat Giants: Beth Mooney

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Smriti Mandhana

You can follow the live telecast of the Women’s Premier League on Sports18 and stream it on Jio Cinema.