GG Women vs MI Women, 5th Match at Vadodara, WPL, Feb 18 2025 - Match Result

11:03pm That will be all from us for tonight. Plenty of cricket lined up tomorrow, including the start of the ICC Champions Trophy and another key WPL contest between the Delhi Capitals and the UP Warriorz, both of whom come into that game on the back of losses. Each and every ball of those matches can be followed on ESPNcricinfo and we would love to have your company. Until then, this is goodbye from Chandan and myself. Take care, folks!

Hayley Matthews, Player of the Match: (On her dismissal) That is just cricket sometimes (smiles). Happy that I was able to get a couple away but would have loved to carry on. (On her bowling) The conditions suited me very well, there was a bit of turn, tried to use the wicket to the best of my ability. Just keeping the stumps in play and trying to get the batters to hit to that side (the longer one) as much as possible. (On the defeat to the Delhi Capitals) The close ones always hurt the most. We got ourselves into a position where we could have won it. We were definitely hungry to turn things around tonight, and everyone is chuffed with the way we were able to bounce back.

Harmanpreet Kaur, Mumbai Indians captain: Whatever we talked about in the team meetings, we executed. Really happy everything went according to our plans. The first six overs are very important. Our bowlers did a great job. We picked the right bowlers to bowl (in the first six overs) and that gave us a stable start. (On what they need to do this season, being played across multiple venues) Be more consistent. We have a great team, a balanced side and we need to keep doing the right things again and again.

Ashleigh Gardner, Gujarat Giants captain: (What went wrong in the batting innings) We just lost wickets in clumps. We put a lot of onus on the top order to score a bulk of the runs but it wasn't to be (tonight). Wicket played differently to the other two, but I don't think we necessarily adjusted fast enough. It seemed to be a little bit faster in the first ten overs. There was a bit of turn when the spinners came on and bowled slower. They bowled well, and we did not adjust fast. (Conversations before the next game) We have a nice, little break. Lots of time to reset. We have been talking about resetting and taking each game as it comes. Lots of positives (to take from the first three games), we could have won two. Different players have stood up at different times and the younger players have stood up, which is great to see. It is awesome and you see the passion they bowl with. Their celebrations are awesome and special to captain them, knowing they are giving their 110 percent.

Nat Sciver-Brunt: (On her batting approach) Give myself a chance, hit straight and take it on like we were scoring a bigger chase - I find that gets me into a better mentality. Not fully high-risk but keep getting boundaries. (On what that approach exactly is) The attitude you have to chase 160 or something like that, trying to pick up a boundary every ball and then take singles, trying to take pressure off yourself. (On what has worked on these pitches) Taking each game as it comes, start from zero every time and see where the game takes you. Majorly focussing on hitting straight, everyone who has tried to hit it across the line, has gotten into trouble. Off to Bengaluru now, we will see how that wicket plays (now). (On losing the number of wickets they did in the chase and if that is a worry) No, not really. Everyone had the right attitude (while chasing) to take the game on. I would have liked to finish the game myself having done the hard work earlier, not really worried about that.

10:43pm Comfortable and clinical. Two words that epitomize the 2023 winners' display tonight. They restricted the Giants to a paltry total and then went to work with the run-chase. Sciver-Brunt was the star of their batting show, like she was on Saturday and seemed to be batting on a different surface altogether. The rest chipped in to ensure there were no hiccups and to ensure that their spotless record against the Giants remains intact.

Speaking of the Giants, well, they just were not at the races. This was their final home game but they failed to turn up, with their batting unable to adjust quickly enough. Their bowlers tried their best but the lack of runs on the board ultimately caught up with them.

There is a new Mumbai Indian in Vadodara today - G Kamalini, the wicketkeeper-batter who opened the batting in India's successful Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year. Sruthi Ravindranath caught up with her just after the auction to know her story.

Kamalini, on debut, strides out

Mishra to bowl out. Just 17 more needed and MI have 30 balls to get those runs

Sajana in at 6

Rapheal: "Is NSB batting on the same pitch as the other batters?" -- Good question. She has looked a class apart tonight, as she did against the Capitals on Saturday