WPL: England’s Issy Wong scores a hat-trick as Mumbai Indians reach final with 72-point win over UP Warriorz | Cricket News

England’s Issy Wong scored a stunning and historic hat-trick to help Mumbai Indians through to the Women’s Premier League final as they convincingly beat UP Warriorz by 72 points in the qualifying round. Friday.

Wong’s magic moment came in round 13 of the Warriorz 183 chase, as she first saw the threat of Kiran Navgire (43 from 27 balls) before then beating Simran Shaikh and her England teammate Sophie Ecclestone.

The 20-year-old fast thrower previously won Australia’s all-important opening wicket and Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy (11) in third over as she finished with a career-best 4 -15. It’s the WPL’s first hat-trick, in its inaugural season.

Earlier, England and Mumbai teammate Nat Sciver-Brunt broke an unbeaten 72 on 38 balls as Mumbai went a commanding 182-4 after being batted.

Sciver-Brunt – who was badly dropped on six by Ecclestone – went over nine bounds and two sixes in her impressive shot, including one to end the innings, with her 60-run partnership for the fourth wicket with the versatile New Zealander Amelia Kerr (29 of 26) helping to see nearly 80 runs scored in the final seven overs.

In an otherwise tough outing for England spinner Ecclestone (2-39), the world’s No. 1 ranked T20 bowler won the wicket of Kerr in the 19th after being looted for three consecutive boundaries. She is now the tournament’s leading wicket taker with 16 in nine games at an average of 14.68.

With the Warriorz needing to step on the gas from the start in their chase, fly-half Shweta Sehrawat and Healy perished cheaply in the space of three balls, while Australia star Tahlia McGrath – the second-highest scorer of the competition – was out of print for seven years. His compatriot Grace Harris (14 of 12) threatened to shoot before falling to Sciver-Brunt.

Navgire briefly gave UP hope by pulling off the unthinkable by breaking four boundaries and clearing the ropes three times, but his wicket to Wong – caught on the deep edge of midwicket – to kick the hat-trick ended the competition.

Simran and Ecclestone followed in successive deliveries of full, fast balls from Wong, the latter slicing his back across his stumps to spark wild celebrations.

Mumbai will now face Delhi Capitals in Sunday’s final. The teams split their two encounters in the group stage, with the Indians winning the first by eight wickets before the Capitals triumphed in even more convincing fashion by nine wickets on Monday.

Watch the WPL final between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Main Event from 2.50pm on Sunday.