Ellyse Perry's brilliance blows away Mumbai Indians as RCB-W clinch WPL 2024 playoffs berth

Until last evening, the WPL points table was wide open with a three-pronged race leading to the quest for the play-offs. However, all of that changed when RCB-W took the yard against MI and not only did they shatter the Mumbai jinx but they did that in style, sealing their spot in the Eliminator to be played on 15th.

Winning the toss, RCB-W opted to field first, hoping to finally get the wheels in motion towards a historic chapter for Smriti Mandhana and company. Hayley Matthews (26) and Sajeevan Sajana (30) were off to absolute flyers as the duo came out blasting on all cylinders.

Knitting together a partnership of 43 runs for the opening wicket, it was the last ball of the powerplay where Sophie Devine managed to provide the first breakthrough for the Royal Challengers. Spotting Hayley’s advance, Devine hung one outside the off-stump as the former bit the bait. A miscued hack went straight down the throat of a forward-sliding Ellyse Perry.

This however, was just a booming prelude to the madness that was about to be unleashed by Perry in the coming overs. Not long after when MI were just starting to settle in after the fall of Matthews, Perry produced an absolute ripper that landed outside off and cannoned through the defences of Sajana to send her packing to the pavilion.

The Mumbai skipper Harmanpreet Kaur, who was in menacing touch till coming out to bat in this game, only chopped the first ball she faced onto her own stumps, departing for a golden duck. 

Despite missing out on a hat-trick chance, Perry would soon strike again, this time leaving Amelia Kerr (2) gasping for breath with a quicker one that left her stranded in front of the stumps with the ball crashing onto her pads. As Mumbai were left gobsmacked trying to figure out what exactly had hit them, Pez struck for the fourth time on the night, claiming Amanjot Kaur (4) this time with another inswinger crashing her timbre.

With a possibility of a fifer teasing her and with four balls in her spell to go, the Aussie all-rounder dealt another crushing double-whammy that left Mumbai reeling in almost unenduring agony. Attacking the stumps, Perry quickened up the next ball after being whacked for a four in the earlier delivery. Bamboozled by the pace, Pooja Vastrakar had her off-stump sent flying back.

A performance that screamed brilliance till then deserved a crescendo that would keep on blaring until the end of time and it arrived in the form of Nat Sciver-Brunt, Mumbai’s last beacon of hope. A fuller delivery in the channel left Sciver-Brunt cramped for room and what followed suit was an appeal, a review and eventually at the end of it all, history. With Sciver-Brunt back in the hut, it was just a matter of time before the RCB-W bowlers could wrap it up. Mumbai Indians were skittled out for 113 with two overs to spare. Perry finished with the best figures in the glistening antiquity of WPL, registering numbers of 6/15 from her four overs.

With 114 to win, it felt like a cakewalk at that point in time but only if cricket would have been that straightforward. The two RCB-W openers, Smriti Mandhana (11) and Sophie Molineux (9) were off to a sluggish start and before they could switch gears, Sciver-Brunt and Matthews had them walking back to the pavilion.

Sophie Devine, who walked in at No.4, couldn’t add too many runs either as she was castled by Shabnim Ismail for just four. As RCB-W wobbled at 39/3 from six overs, that is when Perry and Richa Ghosh took over the reins.

Taking their time, the duo weathered the early storm before unleashing one that would eventually snuff out all hopes for Mumbai Indians, and the leanest ones for UP Warriorz and Gujarat Giants in terms of qualification. Perry stayed unbeaten for 40 off 38 while Richa Ghosh was in equally scintillating touch with a 28-ball-36. RCB-W secured their tickets for the play-off with five overs and seven wickets to spare. Perry was declared as the Player of the Match for her all-round performance.