Kiran Navgire and Grace Harris helped Warriorz secure their first win in the WPL

Navgire rose up the batting order from No. 6 to replace Vrinda, who injured her shoulder, and scored a rapid 57.

Kiran Navgire's blistering half-century and Grace Harris' superb finishing led UP Warriorz to their first victory of the WPL campaign. They won big over an under-strength Mumbai Indians with 21 balls to spare.

Navgire moved up the order from No. 6 after Vrinda Dinesh injured her shoulder in a fielding mishap. She smashed 57 off 31 balls and shared a 94-run opening stand with Alyssa Healy. This set the Warriorz run chase off on an unassailable footing. Despite losing three wickets in quick succession, including two to Issy Wong in her first appearance of this year's tournament, Warriorz managed to chase down their target of 162 thanks to the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of Harris and Deepti Sharma, who added 65 runs. The target was built on Hayley Matthews' fifty.

Warriorz chose to bowl first against a Mumbai team that was missing their captain Harmanpreet Kaur due to quadriceps soreness and pace bowler Shabnim Ismail due to a minor injury in Bengaluru. Despite a sloppy fielding display, they managed to turn the tables in a rematch of last year's Eliminator, handing Mumbai their first defeat of 2024.

Navgire successfully completes the chase

Healy made a strong start, capitalising on Pooja Vastrakar's misfield at deep backward square leg for the first of back-to-back fours off Nat Sciver-Brunt in the opening over of the pursuit. The second was hit with authority over mid-on. But from then on it was Navgire's show as she quickly reached 26 off just 14 balls with six fours. Healy mentioned the fifty partnership with a four over cover off Sciver-Brunt. After a straight six from Navgire off Saika Ishaque, Warriorz was 61 without loss at the end of the powerplay. This was well ahead of Mumbai at the corresponding point in their innings and the highest powerplay score of the season so far.

Navgire could have been out for 42 when she lofted Matthews down the ground. The ball burst through the hands of Wong, who was running full-pelt from long-off, and sailed over the rope for six. Navgire brought up her half-century off just 25 balls with another six over deep midwicket. Navgire's partnership with Healy came to an end, however, when she fell victim to an Amelia Kerr delivery that caught and passed her rashly swung bat, resulting in Yastika Bhatia whipping off the bails. Despite this setback, Navgire's innings were remarkable and put her team in an ideal position to secure the win. Harris also played a crucial role, scoring an excellent 37 not out from just 17 balls, with a strike rate of 222.52. Deepti provided valuable support with an unbeaten 27 off 20.

Matthews presents her class

Matthews hit Harris's eighth delivery over extra cover, starting Mumbai Indians' momentum. Warriorz, who had only conceded eight runs in the first three overs, was suddenly under pressure as Bhatia joined in, hitting Anjali Sarvani - who was playing instead of spinner Gouher Sultana - for three fours and a six down the ground.

Matthews had a lucky escape when a caught-behind dismissal off Harris on 6 was overturned due to replays showing the ball was nowhere near the bat. Later, Matthews should have been out for 23 when Poonam Khemnar dropped a catch running in and diving from deep extra cover, also off Harris. Warriorz had a poor fielding display, missing numerous chances and costing themselves runs with overthrows and poor backing-up. Harris caught Bhatia at short midwicket, ending a dangerous half-century opening stand.

Matthews demonstrated her quality, despite two disappointing innings of 0 and 7. She was willing to sacrifice her wicket on 47 in a mix-up with Sciver-Brunt. She continued to the danger zone after pushing a Sophie Ecclestone delivery to the off side and hesitating in the middle. But when the ball returned to Ecclestone, she opted to throw to wicketkeeper Healy, running out her England teammate, leaving Matthews safe but Sciver-Brunt went for a 14-ball 19. She scored fifty runs off 44 balls. Vrinda injured her right shoulder while diving at high speed to save a boundary hit by Matthews. Matthews was dismissed for 55 runs shortly after, thanks to an excellent catch in the deep by Harris off Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Wong is back

With four overs left, Kerr began to attack, hitting Gayakwad for six over deep midwicket and four through backward square leg. She scored 23 runs off 16 balls before being trapped lbw by Deepti while attempting to sweep a full ball fine. This brought Wong to the crease, who had a successful WPL season in 2023 but lost her place in the England team due to issues with her run-up. Ismail wasted no time in the Mumbai side, hitting Deepti for a six on her first ball faced. She remained unbeaten with 15 runs off six deliveries.

While England Women's and Warriorz coach Jon Lewis watched, Wong was hit for four fours in five balls by a rampaging Navgire. The balls went through the fielder at midwicket, over mid-off, back over Wong's head, and beyond midwicket, with a wide adding to the 17 runs scored in the first over. In the 11th over, Wong made a significant impact by taking two wickets. Firstly, she dismissed Tahlia McGrath cheaply through the DRS system, which showed that the ball had hit her back pad in line with the top of the leg stump. Secondly, she had Healy caught at short third by Ishaque with a full ball outside off. Wong was the leading bowler for Mumbai, taking 2 wickets for 30 runs in three overs.