Harmanpreet, Carey power Mumbai’s big chase against Gujarat
Navi Mumbai (PTI): Harmanpreet Kaur produced a batting masterclass with an unbeaten 71 to lead Mumbai Indians to a seven-wicket win over Gujarat Giants, their highest successful chase in the Women’s Premier League, here on Tuesday.
Put in, Gujarat Giants produced a late flourish through Georgia Wareham (43 not out) and Bharti Fulmali (36 not out) to post 192/5.
Chasing the stiff target, Harmanpreet brought up a 33-ball half-century, her 10th in the WPL, and also crossed 1,000 runs in the tournament to become the first Indian to reach the milestone in the league.
She finished with 71 not out off 43 balls, striking seven fours and two sixes as Mumbai completed the chase with four balls to spare to hand Gujarat their first defeat of the season.
Mumbai were wobbling at 37/2 after losing both openers inside the powerplay, but Harmanpreet found a fine ally in Amanjot Kaur, who played a sparkling knock of 40 off 26 balls with seven fours.
The pair added 72 runs off just 44 balls to turn the game decisively in Mumbai’s favour.
Amanjot was particularly severe on anything loose, using the paddle and the slog to find the fine-leg and mid-wicket boundaries, while Harmanpreet counter-attacked with authority, lofting Renuka Singh over mid-off and later launching Ashleigh Gardner over long-on to keep the asking rate in check.
After Amanjot’s dismissal, Harmanpreet was joined by Nicola Carey, who provided the perfect finishing touch with an unbeaten 37 off 22 balls, including six fours.
The duo put on an unbroken 84-run partnership from 43 deliveries to seal the result.
Harmanpreet was dropped twice during her innings and made Gujarat pay heavily, as Mumbai cruised to a memorable win to tighten their grip on a playoff spot.
Earlier, Wareham remained unbeaten on 43 off 33 balls, striking four fours and a six, while Fulmali made the most of a tactical promotion after Ayushi Soni became the first player in the WPL to be retired out.
Fulmali blasted 36 not out off just 15 deliveries with three sixes and as many fours.
Fulmali’s late assault, which included two sixes and a four off Amanjot Kaur in the final 23-run over, helped Gujarat collect 49 runs from the last three overs.
Gujarat were well placed after a reprieve to Beth Mooney in the opening over when Mumbai’s 17-year-old wicketkeeper Gunalan Kamalini dropped a straightforward chance.
Mooney made full use of it, smashing Hayley Matthews for successive fours in an 18-run second over. After Sophie Devine (8) edged Shabnim Ismail, Mooney and Kanika Ahuja took control in the powerplay.
Ahuja struck three fours and a six in her brisk 20 off nine balls, while Mooney raced to 32 off 24 as the pair added 42 in just 24 balls to lift Gujarat to 62 for one.
After Mooney was caught and bowled by Amelia Kerr in the seventh over for 33, Ahuja kept up the tempo alongside skipper Gardner, taking Gujarat to 96/2 in nine overs.
Mumbai, however, pulled things back when Nicola Carey trapped Gardner (20) and Matthews had Ahuja (35) caught at long-on, leaving Gujarat at 99/4.
Ayushi’s slow 11 off 14 further stalled the innings before the late onslaught from Fulmali and Wareham ensured a strong finish.
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Latest: Trump calls for help to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Dubai (AP): US President Donald Trump said he has demanded that about seven countries send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open as Iranian strikes continued to rain down on Gulf countries on Monday.
Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest, gradually restarted operations after a drone struck a fuel tank and started a fire. Authorities said it was quickly contained, and no injuries were reported.
Tehran has accused the United States, without evidence, of using “ports, docks and hideouts” in the United Arab Emirates to launch strikes on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran's oil exports, as oil prices soared. Brent crude oil was trading near USD 105 per barrel on Monday.
Trump said the US is negotiating with countries heavily reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the waterway where about one-fifth of the world's traded oil normally flows, but declined to name them.
Israeli strikes have deepened Lebanon's humanitarian crisis, with more than 850 people killed and over 850,000 displaced.
Here is the latest:
Bahrain reports missile and drone attacks
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Bahrain's Defence Ministry says air defence systems have responded to attacks on Monday morning.
The ministry says four missiles and three drones were fired.
Israel sends troops into Lebanon for a limited operation
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The Israeli military says it sent additional ground troops into Lebanon for what it calls a “limited and targeted operation.”
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani says the latest deployment is meant to defend Israeli border communities against attacks from the Hezbollah militant group.
Shoshani says Hezbollah has sent hundreds of fighters from its elite Radwan unit toward the border since the militant group entered the war two weeks ago.
He says Israel carried out artillery and airstrikes on multiple sites before sending in the troops.
Earlier in the war, Israel beefed up the presence of ground troops inside Lebanon in what it says is an attempt to prevent attacks on its northern border towns.
Israeli strikes on South Lebanon kill 3, including 2 paramedics
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Lebanon's state-run National News Agency says one person was killed by an Israeli airstrike early Monday on a home in the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Sir.
The agency says another strike occurred after paramedics from the Islamic Health Society, Hezbollah's health arm, arrived at the scene.
The agency says the second strike killed two paramedics and wounded another person.
Israeli military says 70 per cent of Iranian launchers destroyed
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The Israeli military says it has destroyed an estimated 70 per cent of Iran's missile launchers during the first two weeks of the war.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters Monday that while Iran continues to fire missiles at Israel, the number of launches has been greatly reduced.
He says Israel has carried out some 7,600 strikes in Iran, knocking out 85 per cent of Iran's air defences and targeting a number of Iranian nuclear sites.
Shoshani says the war will go on “for as long as needed” and says Israel still has thousands of targets it is prepared to strike.
China has no comment on Trump's Strait of Hormuz request
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A Chinese government spokesperson did not respond directly to questions about Trump's request for military support from several countries to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The Foreign Ministry's Lin Jian, at a daily briefing in Beijing, instead repeated China's calls for an end to the fighting, noting the impact on energy and goods trade.
Trump said in an interview with The Financial Times that the US would like an answer from China before his planned trip to Beijing in about two weeks, and that “we may delay.”
Lin said China and the US have maintained communication on Trump's visit.
“Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–US relations,” he said.
Drone strike starts fire at UAE oil facility
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A fire broke out Monday following a drone attack on an industrial oil facility in Fujairah, one of the United Arab Emirates' seven emirates, authorities said.
The Media Office in Fujairah said a drone targeted the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, causing an “advanced” fire.
No casualties were reported.
UAE says Palestinian killed in Abu Dhabi missile attack
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A Palestinian civilian was killed in a missile attack early Monday in the United Arab Emirates capital Abu Dhabi, authorities said.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office said a missile fell on a civilian vehicle in the Al Bahyah area.
The death raised the toll to seven people in the UAE since the beginning of the war on Feb. 18, authorities said.
EU weighs naval missions to reopen the Strait
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The European Union is weighing two types of naval missions to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“It is in our interest to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and that's why we are also discussing what we can do in this regard from the European side,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU's foreign policy chief.
She made the announcement ahead of a gathering of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday.
Rising prices for energy and fertilisers have brought the war in Iran to the top of their agenda, she said.
Kallas said the EU could expand its Aspides naval mission to protect shipping in the Red Sea up into the Persian Gulf or form a “coalition of the willing” with member nations contributing military capacity on an ad hoc basis.
