MATCH STORIES
Follow UsIn 2023, Mumbai Indians women went on a rampage.
They took the inaugural edition of the Women’s Premier League by its head and put on an unmatched display. It even led people to believe the league was just a two-horse race.
Mumbai’s recruitment strategy has been clear: back power. That has been one of the hallmarks of their recruitment in the men’s side of things as well. So, it was a no-brainer that Mumbai would go for Windies' all-rounder Hayley Matthews.
What’s astonishing is that they bagged her services for just INR 40 lakhs.
“Great start to the campaign for Mumbai, but how Hayley Mathews was sold for base price at the auction will remain a mystery. #WPL2023 #basebuy #steal. She bowls some quality off-spin and could well be an MVP,” tweeted Ravichandran Ashwin after a few games in the inaugural edition.
It remains a big mystery to date. In the inaugural edition, the tall West Indian all-rounder showed exactly why Mumbai rated her highly. In ten games, the right-hander scored 271 runs and picked up 16 wickets, becoming an integral part of the setup.
Every time Mumbai Indians wanted a wicket or some valuable runs, she was there. If her performances in the league stage weren’t enough, she did the unthinkable in the final, taking Delhi Capitals out of the clash with figures of 3/5 in four overs, earning herself another Player of the Match.
She didn’t stop there; Matthews went and had a year to remember.
In 2023 alone, Matthews went on a whirlwind mode, scoring 700 runs. Let’s make it better for you: she scored those runs at an average of 63.63, with a strike rate of 132.3.
Great numbers, right? Let me add more layers now. In 2023 alone, she scored 99 fours; that’s the most fours anyone scored in the entire year in women’s T20Is. What if I tell you that she scored a massive 132 against Australia in the defending champions’ own backyard?
That was how crazy Matthews’ year was.
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Cut to 2024 WPL, a duck and seven.
Matthews couldn’t believe her luck. It was almost like her magic powers were waning. Neither was she too effective with the ball. But that’s the thing with great players: all they need is one release shot to return to doing what they do best.
So, when Warriorz won the toss and put Mumbai to bat first, they wanted to target the lackluster form of Matthews at the top of the order. But they didn’t realize that form is temporary; class is permanent.
Thus far, the worst time for the batters to bat here in Chinnaswamy Stadium has been in the first hour of play, when the ball is moving crazy. That’s when the gentle in-swingers and out-swingers have become like a demon to the batters. But not for Matthews. She’s built differently.
On a surface where teams batting first have only averaged 31.8, losing two wickets on average, Mumbai scored 36 runs. That’s not the best run-rate, but in these conditions, it isn’t about the run-rate; it is about how you see out the moving deliveries up early and maximize later when the conditions become better to bat.
That’s what Matthews did. She faced 17 deliveries in the powerplay, and she only scored 11 but ensured that she remained unbeaten. She bode time and then punished the Warriorz with her swashbuckling batting.
Immediately after the powerplay, Matthews decided enough was enough.
She held no hostage, with a four and a six, pushing Rajeshwari Gayakwad. And then picked up the absolute bones off Deepti Sharma’s bowling, whose bowling was like a feeder to her.
Three fours later, you could sense that the Warriorz were hitting the panic button hard. One of their best bowlers was merely just an extended nets session for Matthews. When she raised her bat for her first half-century of the season, it was almost like she was mocking them for how they were in front of her.
This innings couldn’t have come at a better time for Matthews and Mumbai, who are just beginning to warm up in the season.
