WPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings after Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz Eliminator match (Updated)
The inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) witnessed its first ever knockout contest in the form of the Eliminator. The Mumbai Indians (MI) secured a place in the final of the tournament after a comfortable 72-run win over the UP Warriorz (UPW) on Friday, March 24, at the DY Patil Stadium.
Alyssa Healy won the toss for UPW and elected to bowl first. MI raced off to a solid start, scoring 46 runs in the powerplay, losing only one wicket. While Hayley Matthews struggled to get going, Nat Sciver-Brunt played a spectacular innings.
MI were looking towards a solid total after Brunt got to her fifty. They accumulated 66 runs in the final four overs, where Amelia Kerr played a priceless cameo, MI's first innings score received a major boost to an imperious 182-4.
Following Saika Ishaque's maiden over at the start of the innings, which also included the wicket of Shweta Sehrawat, the UP Warriorz were never really in the chase.
The Australian trio of Alyssa Healy, Tahlia McGrath, and Grace Harris also could not make an impact, leading to wickets falling at regular intervals.
Issy Wong also notched history by becoming the first bowler to claim a hat-trick in the WPL. Apart from the hat-trick, she was also responsible for Alyssa Healy's wicket and ended with figures of 4-15.
UPW were eventually bowled out for a paltry 110 to bow out of the tournament just before the final.
WPL 2023 Orange Cap updated list
On the back of her match-winning unbeaten knock of 72 off 38 deliveries, Nat Sciver-Brunt overtook several names on the WPL Orange Cap list to claim third place.
The England all-rounder now has 272 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 149.45 ahead of the final and could potentially overtake Meg Lanning for the Orange Cap, who still holds the top spot with 310 runs.
Tahlia McGrath's solid campaign came to an unfortunate end in the form of a run-out. However, she did manage to cross the 300-run mark with her seven-run contribution in the Eliminator. The Australian batter ended her season with 302 runs in eight innings.
Hayley Matthews holds the fifth spot with 258 runs and could push for a higher spot with the finals still remaining. The likes of Shafali Verma and Harmanpreet Kaur mark their presence in the top 10 among the Indian contingent and could boost their run tally with a knock in the final.
WPL 2023 Purple Cap updated list
Sophie Ecclestone wrapped up the campaign with 16 wickets, which gives her the ownership of the Purple Cap for now. She claimed figures of 2/39 to extend her lead at the top of the wicket charts.
However, the left-arm spinner's lead was cut short after Saika Ishaque took two wickets during her turn with the ball. She took the first and last wickets of the second innings to finish with 2/24 and occupy the second rank with 15 wickets, with a game remaining.
The top five names in the wicket-charts feature almost the entirety of the MI bowling attack. Spinners Hayley Matthews and Amelia Kerr have 13 wickets each, while Issy Wong has also entered the fray with a hat-trick, that propels her wicket tally to 12 for the season.
Who will win the WPL 2023 Orange Cap and Purple Cap? Let us know what you think.