Saika Ishaque's 3/33 helps MI restrict UP Warriorz to 159/6 in WPL
Mumbai, Mar 12: Saika Ishaque (3/33) once again led Mumbai Indians' bowling charge as they restricted UP Warriorz to 159 for 6 in their Women's Premier League (WPL) match here on Sunday.
UP Warriorz looked set for a challenging total at the Brabourne Stadium with an 82-run stand for the third wicket between captain Alyssa Healy (58) and Tahlia McGrath (50), but WPL's highest wicket-taker Ishaque dismissed both the set batters in the 17th over to help her side bounce back.
In the process, Ishaque took her wickets tally to 12 in four matches, once again emerging as Mumbai Indians' go-to weapon in the competition.
Ishaque provided the first breakthrough early on, trapping Devika Vaidya (6) to take her wickets tally in WPL into double-digit figures (10).
However, after an early blow and sedate start, Healy got into the act and hit four boundaries against Ishaque in the fourth over to make her intentions clear.
At the end of the powerplay, UP Warriorz had raced to 48 for 1 with Healy doing the bulk of scoring.
Kiran Navgire also displayed aggressive intentions by hitting Amelia Kerr for a four and a towering six, but she was soon dismissed by the Kiwi spinner, caught by Yastika Bhatia for 17.
Healy and Navgire added 50 runs for the second wicket from only 28 balls to lay a strong platform, and the UP Warriorz captain found immense support from the other end from compatriot McGrath.
McGrath, at No. 4, began with a flurry of boundaries as the UP Warriorz continued to attack the Mumbai bowlers, putting them under real pressure for the first time in the tournament.
McGrath played some exquisite strokes on the off side with immaculate timing and placement to get her runs, and when Mumbai spinners tried to dry up the runs, she found gaps at will to keep rotating the strike.
Ishaque, off whom the UP Warriorz batters hit a total of 10 fours, finally broke the third-wicket stand by dismissing Healy leg-before with the batter missing to connect on a reverse sweep.
The left-arm Mumbai bowler indeed did well upon her return in the 17th over, as after removing Healy, Ishaque claimed the big wicket of McGrath. The lanky Australian all-rounder was stumped by Yastika Bhatia as Mumbai Indians managed to pull things back. Healy and McGrath faced 61 balls to add 82 runs.
Another key bowler for Mumbai, all-rounder Hayley Matthews played her part well by giving away only 27 runs from her four overs while taking the wicket of Sophie Ecclestone (1).
Amelia Kerr took 2/33 from her four overs, also accounting for Deepti Sharma (7) in the final over.
Mumbai Indians replaced the injured right-arm India pacer Pooja Vastrakar with Dhara Gujjar while UP Warriorz replaced Grace Harris with veteran South African bowler Shabnim Ismail.
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T'gana RTC strike: Talks between govt, employees successful
Hyderabad (PTI): Talks between employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) who were on strike and the state government concluded successfully on Friday as the government agreed to the key demands of the workmen.
Following a day-long marathon of talks between the leaders of the employees' Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the cabinet sub-committee, the government announced after midnight that it acceded to the demands, including a merger of RTC with the government, 11 per cent pay revision and elections to the employees' unions.
A committee comprising officials and employee leaders would be appointed over the merger of RTC with the government, it said.
The RTC management has also agreed to address the remaining issues as well, an official release said.
The employees would call off their strike and the RTC buses would hit the roads shortly, it said.
The employees had been on an indefinite strike since April 22 over a series of demands, including the merger of RTC with the government.
Earlier in the day, a driver of the RTC, who attempted suicide on April 23 during the strike, died at a hospital here in the early hours of Friday.
Shankar Goud, a 55-year-old driver, set himself ablaze by pouring petrol at Narsampet in Warangal district when the employees were staging a protest on Thursday in support of their demands.
Goud suffered serious burns, was initially admitted to a state-run hospital in Warangal, and later shifted to a super-speciality hospital in Hyderabad for advanced treatment.
"He succumbed (to injuries) at about 1.30 am on Friday," a senior official said.
The driver’s body was taken to his relative’s village, Muttojipet in Warangal district, for funeral rites.
Tension prevailed in Muttojipet as his family members and RTC employees attempted to take the body to the Narsampet bus station, where he worked, to enable his colleagues to pay their last respects. However, police did not permit this, citing law-and-order concerns.
This led to a deadlock before the funeral could proceed.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar criticised the Telangana government for not allowing the body to be taken to the Narsampet bus station.
Kumar, Minister of State (Home), visited Muttojipet village in Warangal district, where the funeral was held, and paid homage to Goud.
“They (family members) want to take the body to the bus depot for five minutes. Is the RTC bus depot in Pakistan or Bangladesh? They are emotionally attached to taking the body there. The government is hurting sentiments and creating fear among RTC employees,” Kumar told reporters.
He also expressed anger at the police for not allowing the body to be taken to the bus station and staged a protest, according to a release from his office.
RTC employees and BJP workers attempted to take the mortal remains in an ambulance to Narsampet, but were stopped by the police.
Later, after discussions with the police, the family members and RTC employees agreed to conduct the funeral in the village.
Sanjay Kumar, stating he would abide by the family’s decision, left the village after the funeral was conducted there.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh, a house, and a government job would be provided to the kin of Goud.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed shock over the employee’s death and conveyed deep condolences to the grieving family, according to the release.
The RTC employees’ JAC had earlier announced an agitation programme from April 24 to 29, including silent marches and submission of memorandums to MLAs and other leaders.
