Everything clicked for us in our last league game. A happy and smiling Natalie Sciver-Brunt addressed the media in the post-match press conference. Before the game, all focus was on Mumbai’s NRR and the possibility of a direct entry into the WPL final.

“When we started (with the chase), we wanted to get off to a good one. We were not thinking much about the run rate. But then, when we got a good start, we did think about the run rate. After that, when we lost a few wickets again, we were not thinking about it. A lot of messages were going around the ground. In the end, I am happy to be on the winning side and see what the result of the game is later in the day,” Nat said.  

It was a relatively low-scoring game compared to some of the other fixtures in this WPL. Talking about the pitch, she said, “At the start, the wicket was really good for batting. Not a lot of margin for bowlers. And then it sort of turned a little bit. The wicket last night wasn’t as bad as we were making it look. This one today wasn’t too bad either.”

We started the WPL in some style, winning five out of five. Perhaps the crowd gave us an edge over the other teams. Nat agreed.

“It is really great to play as a home team. The crowds here are, we know, cricket mad. I experienced it when we played against India. We know the noise will always be there whether you are winning or losing. The crowds have been brilliant. They are definitely different from that in England. People don’t shout and scream at every ball. They are supportive in a different way. But the crowds here have been really cool. Even on a Tuesday at 3 pm, people came to watch. It is a great experience to play in front of such crowds. I am really thankful to them.”

Finally, a major factor behind our success has been the leadership that Harmanpreet Kaur has showcased, fighting until the very end even in equations that weren’t in our favour. Nat seemed to find a new and improved version of Harman this year around.

“She has been really good. My last experience was with her for the Supernovas. That was quite a while ago. But since then, she has actually improved. She has been more vocal in the team. She has been very specific with the local girls. She has also been open to communicating with me and Melie on the pitch and ensuring we are getting everything right. She wants us to have fun and enjoy ourselves as a team, which I think we have been doing, especially in our first five games.”