All-round Kerr, Harmanpreet guide MI to five-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in WPL
Bengaluru, Feb 25: Amelia Kerr came up with a splendid all-round effort to assist Mumbai Indians seal a five-wicket win over Gujarat Giants in a Women's Premier League match here on Sunday.
Kerr first made a strong impression with her leg-spin, grabbing four for 17 that helped defending champions Mumbai limit Gujarat Giants to an under-par 126 for nine.
The New Zealand player followed that effort with a 31 off 25 balls as Mumbai overhauled the target in 18.1 overs after getting reduced to 21 for two in the fourth over.
Kerr received excellent support from skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (46 not out, 41 b, 5x4, 1x6)) as the pair made 66 runs for the fourth wicket as MI registered their second successive win in the tournament.
Nat-Sciver Brunt (22, 18 balls) too played a good hand and her scoops behind the wicketkeeper for fours off pacer Leah Tahuhu were epitome of innovation and timing.
But Brunt was run out as MI were in a spot of bother at 49 for three. However, Kerr and Harmanpreet displayed excellent game-awareness to bail their team out.
With a paltry target in front, both Kerr and Harmanpreet did not have to show any unnecessary urgency.
They kept the board moving with singles and twos, while hammering those occasional boundaries. Harmanpreet sliced Katherine Bryce past point for a classy four, while Kerr lapped Tahuhu over stumper Beth Mooney's head for a four.
However, Kerr did not last till the final lap as another attempt to play a scoop off Tahuhu saw her getting trapped in front of the wicket.
But by then she had done the job.
Earlier, Kerr and veteran pacer Shabnam Ismail (3/18) clamped down Giants with fine spells.
Ismail, who has retired from international cricket, showed that her fire had not dwindled while opening Mumbai's bowling in the Power Play segment, dismissing Veda Krishnamurthy and Harleen Deol.
Both Veda and Deol were trapped in front of the wicket with deliveries that swung back into them at a fair clip.
Pacer Brunt jettisoned Phoebe Litchfield in the sixth over as the Giants ended the Power Play at 43 for three.
But their innings nosedived further from there as Giants failed to find a boundary in the next 44 balls, and to add to their woes, they also lost wickets at regular intervals.
Skipper and opener Mooney, who survived the initial flurry of wickets, looked to get into some sort of rhythm but her attempt to reverse-lap Ismail ended in the hands of Yastika Bhatia behind the wickets.
At 58 for five in 11 overs, the Giants were always facing an uphill climb as Mumbai bowlers tightened their grip.
Kerr further complicated their troubles, dismissing Ashleigh Gardner and Sneh Rana in the space of two balls in the 14th over as Gujarat struggled for momentum and runs.
They added a touch of respectability to the total because of the eighth-wicket alliance between Bryce (25 not out) and Kanwar (28) worth 48 runs, the biggest in Gujarat innings.
But it was way too insufficient on the night.
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No clarity on US-Iran talks as Islamabad stays under lockdown
Islamabad (PTI): Large parts of Pakistan's capital remain under a tight security lockdown for over a week on Saturday, even as uncertainty persisted over the proposed second round of talks between the US and Iran.
Arterial roads leading into Islamabad are sealed, while the Red Zone, housing key government buildings and diplomatic missions, remains under a strict security cordon.
In the adjacent commercial 'Blue Area', markets are deserted, cafes are running short of supplies, and public transport disruptions with no service at bus terminals have left commuters stranded.
For residents, uncertainty has become the hardest part. Islamabad is a city of transients, where many residents work during the week and return to family homes at the weekend.
This is the second lockdown in recent weeks. Islamabad was earlier sealed on April 11 for talks between the US and Iranian delegations that ended without a deal. The city briefly reopened before restrictions were reimposed as Pakistan prepared to host another round of engagements, which has yet to materialise.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived here late Friday for engagements with the Pakistani leadership. He was received by senior officials, including Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, foreign minister Ishaq Dar and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi.
However, there is no clarity on whether direct talks between Washington and Tehran will take place during the visit.
"No meeting is planned to take place between Iran and the US. Iran's observations would be conveyed to Pakistan," Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a social media post on Saturday.
He said the Iranian delegation arrived in Islamabad "for an official visit" and Araghchi will be "meeting with Pakistani high-level officials in concert with their ongoing mediation and good offices for ending American-imposed war of aggression and the restitution of peace in our region".
As the Iranian team landed in Islamabad, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that US Special Envoy on the Middle East Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump's adviser Jared Kushner would be leaving for Pakistan on Saturday "to engage in direct talks" with representatives of the Iranian delegation.
“Everyone will be on standby to fly to Pakistan if necessary, but first, Steve and Jared will be going over there to report back to the president, the vice president and the rest of the team,” she said.
However, the US team has not yet arrived.
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar, in a social media post, expressed hope for "meaningful engagements" between the two warring parties to promote regional peace and stability.
The Foreign Office here said Iranian foreign minister Araghchi will hold meetings with Pakistan’s senior leadership to discuss the latest regional developments as well as ongoing efforts for regional peace and stability.
"Following key discussions with the Pakistani mediation team, a second round of peace talks between the United States and Iran is expected to be held in Islamabad on Saturday and Sunday," a government official said.
He said a US logistics and security team is already present in Islamabad to facilitate the negotiation process.
Araghchi, before leaving for Islamabad, said that he was embarking on a timely tour of Islamabad, Muscat, and Moscow, and the purpose of his visits is to "closely coordinate with our partners on bilateral matters and consult on regional developments".
"Our neighbours are our priority," he said.
The first round of US-Iran talks held on April 11 and 12 failed to produce a breakthrough, prompting a flurry of diplomatic efforts by host Pakistan to cool tensions and revive hopes for another round of dialogue.
On Tuesday, Trump extended the two-week ceasefire with Iran indefinitely to give Tehran more time to prepare a unified proposal to end the war, just hours before the truce was set to expire.
The Iran war began on February 28 with US-Israeli strikes.
