White Ferns allrounder Amelia Kerr Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Amelia Kerr's Mumbai Indians' have won cricket's inaugural Women's Premier League (WPL) in India after a seven wicket victory against Delhi Capitals in Mumbai.
Delhi captain Meg Lanning elected to bat after winning the toss and the Australia skipper top-scored for her side with 35 as the Capitals managed a modest 131-9.
Even that score had looked improbable after they slumped to 79-9 but Shikha Pandey and Radha Yadav smashed unbeaten breezy 27s to give Delhi bowlers something to defend.
White Ferns allrounder Amelia Kerr played a big part in restricting Delhi, taking two wickets off her four overs, conceding just 18 runs.
Mumbai lost both the openers early but skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (37) and England all-rounder Nat Sciver-Brunt combined in a 72-run stand to put their team on course for victory.
Kerr then helped steer her side to the WPL title with 14 runs after coming in at 95/3 after her captain Kaur was run out.
Mumbai needed 5 off the last over and reached the target with three balls remaining in front of some 50,000 fans.
Kerr finished the league fourth overall for Most Valuable Player points, and took the third most wickets across the league.
Sciver-Brunt, the league's most expensive foreign recruit along with Australia's Ashleigh Gardner, sealed victory in the final over and finished unbeaten 60.
The five-team tournament has been hailed as a 'game-changer' in women's cricket, offering lucrative deals to attract the leading names.
- Reuters