WPL 2023, MI vs RCB blog: Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt power MI to nine-wicket win
Recap of match No 4 in the Women’s Premier League.

Follow Scroll.in’s coverage of WPL 2023 here.
TOSS: Smriti Mandhana opts to bat.
First innings: RCB 155 all out after 18.4 overs
Second innings: MI 159/1 after 14.2 overs
WPL 2023 is here finally: Of Harry, Harris and happiness at Women’s Premier League being a reality
That will be all for this blog, join us tomorrow for Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz, that should be a good one between two sides with wins from their first match.
Player of the match: 3/28 and 77 off 38 balls. Hayley Matthews has the Orange Cap too. What a night. “Enjoying the freedom I have been given at the top of the order,” she says.
Harmanpreet Kaur: Bowling, we did much better in the first game but today we got the breakthroughs. We wanted to chase anyway, that was good. Everyone in the team is ready for the challenges. Really really happy they are up for their challenges.
Points table: That Net Run Rate is so good for MI, for RCB problems and problems.


Nat Sciver-Brunt: Yeah absolutely I’d like to bat on this wicket all evening. The bowlers did well by taking regular wickets, we are expecting to go for runs here so it is about keeping things as unpredictable as possible. Would like to have Matthews backfoot shot over extra in my armoury, pretty please. The atmosphere in the team is great, enjoying each other’s success.
Smriti Mandhana: Wouldn’t say anything to the bowlers today, we were below par with the bat. Many of us including me got starts but didn’t convert. We won’t dwell on it, we will try and be as positive as we can.

MI 159/1 after 14.2 overs: MI win by 9 wickets! A 143-run followed by a win with 34 balls left. That is an incredible start to the tournament for MI. Nat Sciver-Brunt finishes things with two fours and crosses her half century too.
MI 151/1 after 14 overs: Six singles in that over by Preeti Bose, feels like a glitch in the matrix.
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MI 145/1 after 13 overs: 20 runs in Patil’s over! This is destruction. The fielding has collapsed for RCB, and the batting is just next level. A six for NSB. Three fours too in that over, couple for Matthews.
MI 125/1 after 12 overs: Ouch this is so difficult for RCB. Three fours in the Schutt over, two for Matthews.
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MI 110/1 after 11 overs: HUGE OVER! As Charlotte Edwards makes the point on her chat that Matthews has the chance to express herself in franchise cricket, she plays a lovely lofted shot for four. NSB with a four in that over, could have been another too but for Perry’s genius.
MI 95/1 after 10 overs: And that is a superb half century!
#WPL2023 #MIvRCB
— The Field (@thefield_in) March 6, 2023
The name is Hayley!
Matthews came close to a half century in the opening match but gets there today. Has played some wonderful shots.
Blog: https://t.co/t46A0F3eAj pic.twitter.com/oDW0lbOwne
Hemalatha yesterday and Shreyanka tonight!!! WOW exciting times for the women in blue and this is exactly what was expected from the WPL👏👏 @BCCIWomen
— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) March 6, 2023
MI 87/1 after 9 overs: And Matthews continues to find gaps and only gaps, closing in on a half century. Two fours in Renuka Singh’s over who has been expensive.
Clean striking 💥@MyNameIs_Hayley on a roll with the bat too!
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 6, 2023
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/zKmKkNrJkZ#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/ONSZ5ZA6MT
MI 76/1 after 8 overs: A good day with the bat but Shreyanka Patil can only smile wryly at the end of first over. Starts off with a couple of shortish balls that are punished by Sciver-Brunt and the over ends with a deft reverse paddle.
I am becoming a big fan of Hayley Mathews
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 6, 2023
MI 64/1 after 7 overs: Another four for Matthews in that Perry over, tickled down the fine leg.
MI 54/1 after 6 overs: This is an exhibition from Matthews. One square cut followed by a straight drive for fours off Schutt. What a powerplay for MI.
When assessing her overall record, should IMO appreciate that the specific challenges of playing for and in the West Indies make it almost a different format compared with a lot of the other T20s she plays.
— hypocaust (@_hypocaust) March 6, 2023
MI 45/1 after 5 overs: WICKET! Soft dismissal. Misses a length ball trying to play square of the wicket. Matthews tells her not to review, good call. Bhatia lbw b Bose 23 (19 balls)
#WPL2023 #MIvRCB
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
That is such a good shot from Hayley Matthews. Square of the wicket, she is dynamite. Almost a straight-bat lofted shot off the back-foot. Incredible. https://t.co/X4llCYAtvE pic.twitter.com/NFyXulV0dm
MI 34/0 after 4 overs: Megan Schutt into the attack and Heather Knight was hoping she’d get some swing, but not much on offer. Bhatia finishes that over with another four.
chants of "Perry Perry" as she comes to the boundary rope at CCI, this time in an RCB kit. Jersey colour may change, Indian's love for @EllysePerry remains the same. #WPL2023 https://t.co/SqlwRmrIY1
— Radha🧣 (@radhalathgupta) March 6, 2023
MI 26/0 after 3 overs: Magnificent shot through the offside and this is a great start from Bhatia. Not her forte but she is showing improvements. Her shot-making has never been an issue, intent sometimes is. Matthews too with a four over short-fine. Great start this for MI, expensive from Thakur.
MI 15/0 after 2 overs: Mindful of her slow start last match, Bhatia is showing greater intent today. Bose into the attack and a couple of sweeps for four.
MI 6/0 after 1 over: Matthews gets going with a little streaky outside edge for four, good comeback from Thakur to keep it to 6 in the opening over.
Chants of Hayley, Hayley in Mumbai eh? Nice. https://t.co/E0cdSpQeHT
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
RCB have to take the opening wicket a *little* earlier than they did against DC. Bhatia and Matthews in the middle.
#WPL2023
— Samreen (@SamreenRazz) March 6, 2023
Harsha Bhogle: Kya aapne socha tha auction ke baad aap ke paas ye purple cap hogi?
Saika Ishaque: Haan matlab bowler hu, wicket lene aayi hu. pic.twitter.com/tpGYutPiAB
#WPL2023
— The Field (@thefield_in) March 6, 2023
A recap of how things unfolded in Navi Mumbai over the opening weekend:
✍️ @radhalathguptahttps://t.co/stygW25LRL
If you're a young cricketer look at how well Shreyanka Patil played that very first ball and how hard she runs between the wickets every single time
— Mohit Shah (@mohit_shah17) March 6, 2023
One of my most favourite players on the domestic circuit
Should never look away when Shreyanka is in action#WPL
Purple Cap: Saika Ishahque, for taking her tally to six wickets.
#WPL2023 #MIvRCB
— The Field (@thefield_in) March 6, 2023
RCB: 155 all out (18.4 overs)
Some decent cameos lower down the order pushes RCB past 150 but that feels like a below par score on a good batting wicket. Matthews with three wickets, Ishaque with two as she takes Purple Cap.
Blog: https://t.co/t46A0F3eAj pic.twitter.com/aqsabmeJzx
Leaving 8 deliveries on the table is 6% of your resources not utilised. It’s the equivalent of say, giving up on defending with 6 mins left in a football game.
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) March 6, 2023
RCB 155 all out after 18.4 overs: Schutt is stumped by Kerr and RCB will finish the innings with 8 balls left. Disappointing batting effort overall from a strong lineup. Schutt st Bhatia b Kerr 20 (14 balls)
RCB 154/9 after 18.2 overs: Schutt getting stranded here. Thakur with a wild swing and the signature googly by Kerr does the trick. Thakur b Kerr 2 (5 balls)
RCB 154/8 after 18 overs: Schutt with another four, sweeps Matthews well. The West Indies captain finishes with 4-0-28-3.
Schutt been the best batter in that star studded batting line up 😂
— mon (@4sacinom) March 6, 2023
RCB 146/8 after 17 overs: WICKET! Too risky to sweep NSB off a full length. Given out LBW on the field and the review returns three reds. End of a fine little knock. Patil lbw Sciver-Brunt 23 (15 balls)
RCB fans should actually be very happy today.
— PouLaMi #WPL #RoarMacha (@Crictopher17) March 6, 2023
May be the players whom you wanted to perform good, didn't. But look what gems you got in Kanika and Shreyanka. ,♥️#MIvRCB
#WPL2023 #MIvRCB
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
And now a similar shot for four against Nat Sciver-Brunt.
Karnataka's Shreyanka Patil playing a little gem for RCB https://t.co/7jHWOGQPEc pic.twitter.com/qoyOB45bce
RCB 132/7 after 16 overs: Shreyanka with a couple of brilliant shots for four off Ishaque’s bowling. The Karnataka youngster is impressing!
RCB 123/7 after 15 overs: Schutt and Shreyanka are keeping things ticking here. Schutt played a good hand in the previous match. Hardly gets to bat for Australia, maybe this is her chance.
Correction: *Nearly a half century in Game 1. Wickets of Smriti Mandhana and Richa Ghosh in Game 2. Hayley Matthews showing again quite a steal it was for MI to bring her in at base price.
With bat in last match and today with ball, @MyNameIs_Hayley is on 🔥
— Mukesh Srivastwa (@marvelousmukesh) March 6, 2023
Richa is gone and Time to wrap things up quickly.#MI #WPL
RCB 112/7 after 13.3 overs: WICKET! Oh dear that’s the last thing RCB wanted. Matthews tosses it up, Ghosh tempted into a slog sweep and it is caught at deep midwicket. Commentator says later that it was hit into the wind. Ghosh c Sciver-Brunt b Matthews 28 (26 balls)
Ah that is disappointing from Richa. Had to let the other batters take the risks
— Karthik Raj (@kartcric) March 6, 2023
Shreyanka Patil smacks the first ball she faces in the WPL, from an Indian international pacer no less, for four with a nice pull shot.https://t.co/X4llCYAtvE pic.twitter.com/GPGCVjMqpW
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
RCB 105/6 after 12.3 overs: WICKET! And that’s the end of a good cameo from Ahuja. Misreads Ahuja’s slower ball, leading edge taken by Bhatia. Ahuja c Bhatia b Vastrakar 22 (13 balls)
Break in play for some reason, not sure why. Vastrakar with the ball.
RCB 102/5 after 12 overs: Ahuja with another couple of boundaries in that four, two fours off Kalita who comes on to bowl her first over. Nearly another mix up there. Ghosh says no, Ahuja slips while turning back. Didn’t seem like there was a run there.
Kanika Ahuja just hit a SIX of Amelia Kerr. 🙌👏#MIvRCB
— PouLaMi #WPL #RoarMacha (@Crictopher17) March 6, 2023
RCB 92/5 after 11 overs: Ahuja in the house! Taking on Kerr, a sweep for four and a lovely pick up shot for six. The RCB camp enjoyed that.
RCB 81/5 after 10 overs: Another four past short-fine for Richa, using the pace of Wong. Decent over for RCB as Ahuja joins Ghosh. Can they post something decent in the back-end?
RCB’s Ben Sawyer too reckons the UltraEdge missed the edge off Richa Ghosh’s attempted pull a while back.
How is this Not Out!
— Asli BCCI Women- #WPL (@AsliBCCIWomen) March 6, 2023
I thought there was a clear deflection#WPL2023
Someone needs to tell Smriti and team that they don't HAVE to commit hara-kiri just because they are RCB. It is optional.
— Prem Panicker (@prempanicker) March 6, 2023
I mean, what is this innings even? ( And that is with Richa being let off by tech!)
#WPL2023
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
That might just go down as the most predictable run out of all time. Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh were not on different pages, they were on different books.https://t.co/X4llCYAtvE pic.twitter.com/IrHztkQtDq
Kaha humne socha tha India ka running between the wickets thik hoga, ulta yeh log Australians ko run out karwa rahe hai.
— PouLaMi #WPL #RoarMacha (@Crictopher17) March 6, 2023
Perry today thrice with Richa, Healy almost twice yesterday with Shwetha.
Only Shafali responded well to Lanning's calls. #MIvRCB
RCB 71/5 after 8.1 overs: WICKET! This was on the cards. Both Perry and Ghosh were running chaotically. This one all on Ghosh, caught ball-watching. But what a great combination work on the field, NSB stops. the ball with the dive and Kazi with a directi hit. Perry run out (Kazi/NSB) 13 (7 balls0
RCB 71/4 after 8 overs: EVENTFUL OVER. Looked like Ghosh had edged a bouncer to the keeper, the first replay on review shows deflection but nothing on UltraEdge. There was a six and four for Ghosh too in that NSB over and more confusion running between the wickets.
Oh Ghosh... that was close 😮 #OneFamily #MumbaIndians #WPL2023 #MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/LudCFTGM6X
— Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 6, 2023
1⃣ brings 2⃣, they say! 💬
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 6, 2023
Saika Ishaque agrees & how! 👏 👏
Watch how she dismissed Sophie Devine & Disha Kasat 🔽
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/zKmKkNrbvr#TATAWPL | #MIvRCB | @mipaltan pic.twitter.com/DMAwM6DgXR
RCB 57/4 after 7 overs: Oh Perry good! Superb shot down the ground for six off Kerr. Nearly a mix-up too with Ghosh, that would have been disastrous.
RCB 47/4 after 6 overs: Things escalated quickly for RCB in that powerplay.
#WPL2023 #MIvRCB
— The Field (@thefield_in) March 6, 2023
4.2: 1-39 Sophie Devine
4.3: 2-39 Disha Kasat
5.2: 3-43 Smriti Mandhana
5.3: 4-43 Heather Knight
A stunning RCB top-order collapse.
Blog: https://t.co/t46A0F3eAj pic.twitter.com/1Q0N2ip4Dk
Yes RCB have been a bit rash, but good captaincy this from Harman. Hayley delivering with that second over.
— Tareque Laskar (@tarequelaskar) March 6, 2023
RCB 43/4 after 5.3 overs: WICKET! HAYLEY! A terrific delivery this, lovely flight and some drift too, beats Knight and through the gate. Knight b Matthews 0 (1 ball)
RCB 43/3 after 5.2 overs: WICKET! The big one. The match-up with Matthews works and Harmanpreet is so pumped up. Should Mandhana have waited to weather the storm? Goes down the track and mishits to point. Mandhana c Wong b Matthews 23 (17 balls)
Saika!! Already 6 wickets to her name in this WPL. She was in last year's Trailblazer side too, but Smriti didn't play her. Taking the badla today. 😎😎
— Ritwika Dhar #WPL (@RituD307) March 6, 2023
RCB 43/2 after 5 overs: What an over! Two wickets for Saika Ishaque as she picks up from where she left off in the previous match. Two boundaries in the over, but both could have been stopped. Devine the first to fall and some words exchanged. Then Kasat is bowled.
Devine c Amanjot b Ishaque 16 (11 balls)
Kasat b Ishaque 0 (2 balls)
RCB 35/0 after 4 overs: Three fours in the Wong over for Mandhana! Two terrific shots, sandwiching a streaky one in between. Both Wong and Kaur are wondering what-if. They had just taken the slip off.
#WPL2023 #MIvRCB
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
Smriti Mandhana! What a shot. Glorious. Packed offside field, manages to pierce it.
"Watch this on loop," says Harsha. Indeed.https://t.co/X4llCYAtvE pic.twitter.com/ZIeUTXAdQq
Another 200+ at the #WPL?? #MIvRCB
— Jemimah Rodrigues (@JemiRodrigues) March 6, 2023
#WPL2023
— Samreen (@SamreenRazz) March 6, 2023
Hahahaha, so much to like about Saika Ishaque. Great over!
RCB 22/0 after 3 overs: That was a lovely contest between Saika Ishaque and Sophie Devine in that over. Starts with a four, a streaky cut past short-third. But the left-arm spinner comes back well. Stopped in the run-up couple of times when Devine moved around at the crease, held her nerve.
RCB 17/0 after 2 overs: Mandhana shows her back-foot game in that over, pulling a short ball for four. NSB induces the false-shot with a fuller length, but it evades Kaur.
Nat Sciver-Brunt from the other end. Wong has to wait.
RCB 11/0 after 1 over: A delightful push through cover by Mandhana for the first over. All timing. Was actually a good pull-back from Matthews seeing Mandhana come down. Devine finishes the over with a sweep over square leg for six. There is so much wind out there at the moment.
Lessgo, Shrey! 🔥#Superstar #OneToWatch #AppamPower
— Ananya Upendran (@a_upendran11) March 6, 2023
Smriti Mandhana and Sophie Devine opening the batting again. Can RCB’s bounce back from the defeat yesterday? MI are starting with Hayley Matthews today. Harmanpreet knows the match-up with Mandhana.
7.25 pm: Smriti Mandhana mentioned at the toss that she’d like to see one of the top four bat till the 16th or 17th over. MI’s batting firepower means RCB will needed more than par.
India’s captain & vice captain.
MI’s captain & RCB’s captain.
It’s the first of Harmanpreet Kaur-Smriti Mandhana clashes in the WPL.

#WPL2023
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
This was a really nice pre-match chat with Sophie Devine and Harsha Bhogle. Apart from a couple of quips at Aussies, makes the point that (from her bowling PoV) she'd probably like to see the boundaries pushed back a bit. https://t.co/lQiPtS0gdL
A recap of how things unfolded in Navi Mumbai over the opening weekend:
"After Match 3 of the Women’s Premier League, it is safe to say: welcome to the WPL baby, it is here to stay." 🏟🤗
— Radha🧣 (@radhalathgupta) March 6, 2023
✍️ words by yours truly@thefield_in | @scroll_inhttps://t.co/2Qqq718r5g
Team news: RCB make one change, bringing in off-spinner Shreyanka Patil for leg-spinner Asha Joy. MI are unchanged.
MI XI: Yastika Bhatia(wk), Hayley Matthews, Nat Sciver-Brunt, Harmanpreet Kaur(c), Amelia Kerr, Pooja Vastrakar, Issy Wong, Amanjot Kaur, Humaira Kazi, Jintimani Kalita, Saika Ishaque
RCB XI: Smriti Mandhana(c), Sophie Devine, Ellyse Perry, Disha Kasat, Richa Ghosh (wk), Heather Knight, Kanika Ahuja, Megan Schutt, Shreyanka Patil, Preeti Bose, Renuka Thakur Singh
Replug for a feature on Harmanpreet’s near flawless knock on opening night:
Of Harmanpreet Kaur and an innings to remember on opening night.
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) March 6, 2023
My piece:https://t.co/T2gqAJlsA6
🚨 Toss Update 🚨@RCBTweets have elected to bat against @mipaltan in Match 4⃣ of the #TATAWPL
— Women's Premier League (WPL) (@wplt20) March 6, 2023
Follow the match ▶️ https://t.co/zKmKkNrbvr#MIvRCB pic.twitter.com/unI8kuUkf2
TOSS: Smriti Mandhana wins the toss and opts to bat first in a very windy CCI.
6.58 pm: RCB’s match 1 saw them miss their mark with the ball against a strong DC batting lineup. That will be their main concern to correct just more than 24 hours.
WPL 2023, RCB vs DC blog: Shafali, Lanning, Norris star as Delhi Capitals win by 60 runs
06.55 pm: Hello and welcome to our live blog of the Women’s Premier League. It’s match No 4 and it’s a big one.
Two of Indian team’s superstars go head-to-head in what is the first of many blockbuster chapters. It’s Harmanpreet Kaur’s Mumbai Indians and Smriti Mandhana’s Royal Challengers Bangalore. MI started with a huge win against Gujarat Giants, with Harmanpreet Kaur and Saika Ishaque starring with the bat and ball. RCB had a tough outing against Delhi Capitals and will be keen to get on board.

Photos / screenshots in the blog courtesy: wplt20.com and JioCinema