BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Smriti Mandhana hailed Ellyse Perry for her remarkable efforts with the bat during their seven-wicket defeat against defending champions Mumbai Indians.
Ellyse Perry returned to RCB’s squad after missing out on their previous game against Delhi Capitals. She made an unbeaten 44 off 38 balls.
She scored just three runs in her first eight deliveries but as the game progressed, she shifted through gears to take RCB to a respectable score of 131/5.
“She (Perry) is definitely a fighter, she wasn’t 100 per cent today, but anyone watching wouldn’t have figured that out. She is an excellent athlete and her innings really helped us get to a decent score from that stage (42/4),” Mandhana said after the game.
RCB’s struggle began in the powerplay when they were reduced to 33/3. On a surface that needed atleast 160 plus runs on the board. Mandhana admitted that the team fell short on the batting front.
“I think we didn’t really get the start we wanted, and that (losing 4 wickets early) really cost us the game. It was the same wicket we played against Delhi Capitals, we thought 165 was a good total, it wasn’t as good as it was in the last game, but still a good wicket to bat on,” Mandhana said.
“Batting first it’s holding a little bit, we tried but couldn’t adjust to the wicket, hopefully, we will learn the lessons and come back strong. Having a good start and carrying the momentum is really important in T20 cricket. Also really important to attack the stumps,” she added.
Coming to the match, RCB managed to put up a total of 132 runs on the board for MI to chase down.
The opening trio of Yastika Bhatia (31), Hayley Matthews (26) and Nat Sciver-Brunt (27) set the game perfectly for Amelia Kerr (40*) to finish off the game and clinch a seven-wicket win. (ANI)