NSB paddles it FTW, the MI players run onto the field. They take the inaugural WPL! Big huddle in the middle, fireworks go off. The batter went across and got a full toss following her, went back in her crease and kind of scooped it over the keeper. Went very fine and to the fence.
DC Women vs MI Women, Final at Mumbai, WPL, Mar 26 2023 - Ball by Ball Commentary
MI Women won by 7 wickets (with 3 balls remaining)
There we have it, Mumbai Indians clinch the inaugural title. They were formidable in the group stages, had a couple of slip-ups but came back convincingly in the knockouts. Nat Sciver Brunt was clutch. You can relive the match by checking out Shashank's blog and report. The reactions from MI's players and support staff can be found here. Lots more content coming up, catch it all here on ESPNcricinfo. Thanks for joining us. Hope you enjoyed our coverage. I'm Ekanth, signing off on behalf of my co-commentator, Ashish, our scorer, Thilak, and everyone who helped cover this long-awaited league. Look forward to seeing you for the IPL. Take care.
Harmanpreet Kaur collects the trophy from Jay Shah and Roger Binny before her team-mates join her on the podium. The confetti and fireworks go off, cheers all around. The owners and support staff join in and everyone gets into a 'Mumbai, Mumbai' chant.
Harmanpreet Kaur, MI Captain: It was a great experience for all of us, we were waiting for this moment for so many years. I think everybody enjoyed in our dressing room. (On her personal experience) It feels like a dream, I think not only for me but for everyone here, even for the crowd also. So many people were asking us, "when the WPL is going to come?" and today that day is here and I'm so happy and so proud that our team did so well. When you have such a long batting line-up, you just need to go there and express [yourself] and that's what we have been talking [about] in the dressing room. I'm really happy that everybody took the responsibility and they did whatever we discussed. Staying positive was the biggest key for us. The way we started, it was a great day for us. We have been lucky today, lot of full-toss balls, but everything went in our favour. I think that's what you need whenever you go and play. It's a special moment for all of us, and I have been waiting for this moment for a long, long time, and today I can feel what you can feel after the win and I think I should give credit to all the support staff and everyone. It was a great experience for me. Looking for the next year now. We just talk about how positive we were in the dressing room and we just keep talking about how we need to go about. The way we discussed whatever the planning we executed really well and that is the reason we are standing here today.
Meg Lanning, DC Captain collects the runner-up cheque and shield: Difficult pill to swallow, MI deserved the win. Can't fault our efforts though. We hadn't set a target as such, we would have liked to put a few more. This comp has shown that if we keep fighting we could be in the challenge. We thought we could put pressure with early wickets, we did well in the first ten. But Nat Sciver Brunt and Harmanpreet played well. The management and the team have been supportive and I'd love to see the team grow, which it will.
The match referees, umpires, and officials collect their awards.
Meg Lanning wins the orange cap for being the highest run-scorer of the tournament
Hayley Matthews wins the purple cap for being the highest wicket-taker of the tournament
Harmanpreet Kaur's catch at slip to dismiss Devika Vaidya against UP Warriorz gets the catch-of-the-season award
Yastika Bhatia wins the emerging-player-of-the-season award
Natalie Sciver-Brunt (MVP of the season): [On her knock] It was very special. I am glad I was able to stick it out when the pressure was on and to be there at the end was really special. [on her partnership with Harmanpreet and Amelia Kerr]I was finding it quite tough and Harman was sweeping her way to a good total so she took the pressure off me, and Amelia did as well when she came in. I knew if I was there at the end, we'd be able to get over the line. The last three or four overs, we came away a few too many boundaries than we would have liked. That made the game interesting, and it was a winning total in the end. [On winning the title] It means everything. At the start of the competition I didn't really know what to expect and to come together with a very special group of girls at the Mumbai Indians, it is really special to be standing here.
Raj: "Is Hayley Matthews the first opener to win Purple Cap?" In the WPL, she's the only one. Including IPL too, yes.
11:12pm: The presentations will be on in some time. For now, MI's players take a lap around the wicket.
Himanshu Khanna: "Delhi won 2 and lost 1 that is the sequence for entire season"
vivek: "H. Mathews unsold first roundShe is 1st in most wicketsShe is 5th in most runs scorerWhat a player she is"
Akram: "Fun fact : MI don't have any Australian player."
Hypocaust: "Sciver-Brunt scored 132 unbeaten runs across the eliminator and final."
Vinod Rajpal: "Brilliant Scenes on TV...... Women in Blue have done it....Ammchi MUMBAI !"
Charlotte Edwards: Over the moon with the win. To win this is one of my greatest achievements in my career. It's been an unbelievable group, they've stuck together brilliantly and some strong friendships have built, it has been amazing to be around. We gave yesterday off because they were tired. We had a team meeting and we kept it very relaxed. Harman's been amazing as a captain, it's been a wonderful experience.
Jhulan Goswami: All credit to the bowlers, thanks to Lotty (Charlotte), was my first tournament as coach. Girls had a lot of faith and had the belief to do their best. We are all proud of them. Many times, Harman has gone through these situations but she hasn't crossed the finish line. This time, there was good communication and she took charge. The way she handled the team right after the World Cup was great.
Yastika Bhatia: Enormous, can't explain how good it feels. Very happy and proud of the team. We were relaxed yesterday and were focusing on the little things. Think Issy was quick, the full tosses were not low, she was trying to bowl yorkers.
Saika Ishaque: Feels amazing, it's been a dream come true. It was to become champion and is speechless in joy. Didn't make much changes, just wanted to bowl dots if there wasn't wickets. Plan C was to bowl full tosses and wickets (laughs). Thanks to the fans from the heart for all the supprt.
Hayley Matthews: Exciting to be a part of history. We've been through a lot of ups and downs, happy to have won it at the end of the road. This is probably just under the T20 World Cup win for West Indies. Just to bring it home for the Mumbai family means a lot. I guess wickets are wickets. The wicket assisted me, happy to contribute to a team win.
Amelie Kerr: Helps when you're going out and Nat Sciver's there to hit the winning runs. I guess you train for and work hard for those finishing moments. You just want to keep it simple and stick your game plan. Nice when it comes off, it's been an amazing win for an amazing franchise. You just get into a zone but in between the balls you hear the crowd and it's great but you go back into the zone once the ball is bowled. Charlotte is a legend, she's one of the bes got a wealth of knowledge. She's taken teams to finals but to get a team over the line is pleasing to see.
10:44pm: The huddle is still on, the ground is covered in smoke but one thing is clear: MI have another dominant side. Mumbai were ahead from the start of the game, Shikha and Radha pushed Delhi to 131. Mumbai tried to start the chase positively, Radha and Jonassen bowled well and chipped away. But then, Harman and Nat Sciver-Brunt did what Delhi Capitals' batters couldn't do, which was to string a partnership. They had a target to go after which helped, they didn't mind slowing down and taking it deep. Harman got run out and Shikha bowled a tight over which made the equation tense but Kerr and NSB cleared it.
Tautoru: "Glad it was close and hard- but also glad the best team of the WPL won. "
Vishal Pawar : "Another odd year title for MI! This time it's the incredible women! "
Yash: "What a match! Streak intact - Matthews dropped a catch, but MI won. Streak broken - Harmanpreet losing to Meg Lanning."
Last ball?
Pulled to deep midwicket, fielder doesn't gather it on the first go. Kerr and NSB are quick and make it back. Enthusiastic applause in the MI dugout
A long discussion between balls and Capsey loads up
Kerr comes down and Capsey goes into the pitch. Flicked on the move, goes off the thick inside edge to deep-backward square
Five off six, two crucial boundaries in the last over put MI well in front. DC need a special over to keep this close. Capsey will bowl the last over
Lucas: "Inches have decided a couple key moments of this match. Catches misses fielders, No balls, each going MI's way. The difference between these 2 teams has been that small this season."
Goes for the slog sweep, ball goes off the inside edge to short fine and they scamper through for a single.
Lucas: "Inches have decided a couple key moments of this match. Catches misses fielders, No balls, each going MI's way. The difference between these 2 teams has been that small this season."
Down the pitch, manufactures room and threads the gap to the right of cover point! Slaps it off a length, fielder dives in vain.
And again, Jemimah runs to the left at deep midwicket and puts in the dive. Can't get to it! Was a full ball that was tossed up. Kerr cleared her front leg and whacked it, risks paying off.
Slog sweep is in the airrr... bisects long-on and deep midwicket running across
Makes room and slaps it to cover. Shafali goes to the right and parries it, which makes the single easier
Goes across, sweeps, beats deep-backward square and raises fifty. No celebration. Was a length ball that was wide, she dragged it across with precise placement. Fielder in the deep was too square
Around
Brilliant over from Shikha, she reacted to the batters moving around the crease and nailed her lengths, changed her pace like a pro. But she has bowled out.
Slower one on a length at the stumps. Kerr makes room and tries to slap it through cover. Ball goes into the pitch, back to the bowler.
Goes across and Shikha bowls at middle stump. Flicked to deep square leg
Makes room after going across and middles the cover drive. The full ball goes straight to cover.
NSB on 48*
Makes room to the length ball around off, looked like a leg cutter. Chopped along the ground to mid-off for a quick single
23 off 16, the chants of 'Mumbai, Mumbai' continues. Time taken to set the field.
Nudges a slow, full ball to deep midwicket. Played it gently to try and pick two, but the fielder from the deep was quick to come in
Wide and full, whipped. Great dive from Radha to the right. Went quickly from long-on, relayed it to deep midwicket and they keep it to two
James Cricket: "Only DC could have made a match out of this. Any other team would have lost already."
Sweeps the full ball from outside off to deep midwicket
One of the finest reverse-sweeps out there. Got it on the low full toss, it bounced off the pitch, the keeper slid her right leg across but wasn't able to stop it
Full on leg, flicked to deep midwicket. Pace: 78kph
Shreyas HM: "What is it about Harmanpreet Kaur and run outs?"
Length at the stumps, flicked off the back foot to deep-backward square
Shafali dives to the right but can't stop it. Goes to the deep-fine-leg boundary. Was a full ball down leg that was swept into the ground.
Kerr in.
Harman risks a single to midwicket, Capsey knocks off the bails and is celebrating. Sent upstairs. Harman just slid her bat into the ground but was like a yard behind as the bails lit up. Capitals' fielders are chuffed. Was a full ball that was flicked straight to Capsey, which ended up being costly.
Final four overs to go. 37 needed off 24 with two set bats and eight wickets in hand. Capsey from over he wicket