WPL bowling best for Perry in superb allround display

Ellyse Perry has achieved the best bowling figures in the short history of the WPL, taking 6-14 in four overs of classic seam bowling in Delhi.

Perry followed up with the bat, scoring 40 not out as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat defending champions Mumbai Indians by seven wickets with five overs to spare.

There was also a smart catch in the outfield as she completed a superb allround display.

The 33-year-old veteran, who had not previously taken a wicket in this campaign, showed her enduring class hitting the stumps four times and snagging her other two victims lbw.

Bowling straight, at a decent lick, and finding movement off the seam, she was the stand-out player as RCB booked a place in the play-offs alongside Indians and Meg Lanning’s Delhi Capitals.

It also meant Alyssa Healy’s UP Warriorz and Beth Mooney’s Gujarat Giants are both out of the competition, the latter with a game still to play.

“I really enjoy bowling,” said Perry, “sometimes I think go about three years of just getting walloped around the ground then every now and again it goes my way.

“I’ve been working on it a bit, especially with my coaches back home. It was suitable conditions for me, the ball nipped around a little bit. I managed to find a good length most of the time and it did a little bit off the wicket. It was good fun.”

Mumbai were looking good at 0-43 with one ball left in the powerplay when Perry made her first intervention, catching Hayley Matthews (26) in the deep off Sophie Devine.

Perry bowled the next over conceding a run and a leg-bye, but also bringing one back into Nat Sciver-Brunt’s pads. The English batter survived Perry’s DRS review, but the seam movement was ominous.

Next over Perry jagged one back to bowl Sajeevan Sajana (30) then had Indians skipper Harmapreet Kaur inside-edging onto her stumps first ball.

Perry took two in three in her next over, dismissing Amelia Kerr (2) and Amanjot Kaur (4). Delivering all four overs on the spin she then bowled Pooja Vastrakar (6) and, off her last ball, got the key wicket of Sciver-Brunt (10) on an lbw review.

That left Indians, having been 1-61, reeling at 7-82. They were dismissed for 113 with an over to spare, Sophie Molineux (1-26) taking the final wicket.

Molineux was soon back in the middle opening the batting but lasted only nine balls, during which she was dropped by Sciver-Brunt, before being stumped for nine off Matthews.

That brought Perry out to the crease, and she was in no mood to allow her bowling efforts to go to waste. Though RCB slumped to 3-39 she and Richa Ghosh (36 off 28 balls) steadied the innings. Aided by poor fielding (Sciver-Brunt uncharacteristically also dropped Ghosh on two) they put on an unbeaten 76 to bring RCB home.

Fittingly Perry secured victory with a lofted drive for four, ending with five fours and a six off 38 balls.

Barring an improbable thrashing of Capitals by Giants on Wednesday (Thursday 0100 AEDT) RCB and Indians will meet again in Friday’s play-off.