Ellyse Perry lit up the Arun Jaitley Stadium with her all-round show and took Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to the Women’s Premier League playoffs. 33-year-old Perry first created history with the ball as she scalped six wickets by conceding just 15 runs in 4 overs and then finished the match in style with a boundary. Thus RCB became the third team in WPL 2024 to register a place in the playoffs. 

After choosing to bowl first, the star Australian all-rounder, who had not yet claimed a wicket in the competition, had a memorable evening as she recorded the best bowling figures in the history of the Women’s Premier League. She took six wickets for fifteen runs, helping RCB beat MI for 113, their second-lowest total in the WPL.

Chasing 114 to win, RCB were 39 for 3 in the seventh over. It could have been worse had Nat Sciver-Brunt held on to two catches off Shabnim Ismail.

However, the 33-year-old Perry slammed a 38-ball 40, sharing an unbroken 76-run stand with Richa Ghosh (36 off 28) to take RCB across the finish line in 15 overs.

With the win, RCB finished their league engagements at third position with eight points, while MI (10) stayed at the second spot behind Delhi Capitals (10) on the Women’s Premier League points table.

Earlier, Hayley Matthews (26) and Sajeevan Sajana (30), who was promoted up the order, provided a powerful start to the defending champions, adding 43 off 35 balls.

Matthew was the aggressor at the start, using her slog shots to blast two fours and two sixes. 

However, Sophie Devine dismissed Matthews in the last over of the powerplay.

Sajana then took over the reins and smashed Devine for a four and a six before Perry brought RCB back into the game.

Perry bowled outside off length deliveries and both Sajana and Harmanpreet Kaur fell for the trap. Perry’s brilliant bowling left MI at 65 for 3 in 9 overs.

Sajana hit five boundaries and a six in her 21-ball knock.

Perry continued to wreak havoc with the ball. The Aussie all-rounder, then, returned to trap Amelia Kerr (2) in front before cleaning up Amanjot Kaur (4) in the 11th over.

In the final over of her spell, the Australian flattened the off stumps of Pooja Vastrakar (6) first and then deceived Nat Sciver-Brunt (10) with another inswinger in her final over to grab a record six-wicket haul.

First Published: Mar 12 2024 | 11:23 PM IST