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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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
