Australian Beth Mooney retires hurt, taken away in ambulance amid WPL demolition job

Mumbai Indians thrashed Gujarat Giants by 143 runs in the opening match of the inaugural Women’s Premier League tournament as Australian Beth Mooney retired hurt.

Batting first, Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur smashed 14 fours in her 65 off 30 balls to take her team to 207 for five in 20 overs before her bowlers sent Gujarat Giants reeling to a paltry 64 for nine in 15.1 overs.

Giants batsman Dayalan Hemalatha top scored for her team with an unbeaten 29 off 23 balls, with two sixes and one four.

Tail-ender Monica Patel was the second highest scorer with 10 before Mumbai bowler Saika Ishaque clean bowled her to seal victory.

Ishaque returned figures of 4-11 in 3.1 overs. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Amelia Kerr took two wickets each and Issy Wong bagged one for seven runs.

Three Giants batters fell without scoring, while skipper Mooney retired hurt also on nought after she injured her left knee in the first over.

The Australian was immediately attended by medics on the pitch and later taken off the field and driven away in a waiting ambulance.

Earlier, Mumbai began the campaign in style with opener Hayley Matthews from the West Indies smashing four sixes and three fours to score 47 off 31 balls after Mooney won the toss and elected to field.

New Zealander Amelia Kerr remained unbeaten on 45 off 24 balls, with six fours and one six.

Giants spinner Sneh Rana picked up two crucial wickets for 43, including Kaur’s, with Georgia Wareham, Tanuja Kanwar and Ashleigh Gardner bagging one each.

The WPL has found a boisterous support base in the cricket-mad nation and generated hundreds of millions of dollars even before the first ball was bowled on Saturday.

The five-team franchise league has been designed on the lines of cash-rich popular men’s Indian Premier League.

Teenage fan Anshu Singh told AFP from the stands that she was excited at the prospect of a successful women’s tournament to match the lucrative IPL in the years ahead.

“We are very grateful to see women playing cricket at a very big level,” she added.

Excited fans wearing Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants jerseys lined up outside the stadium and chanted team slogans hours before the match began.