Nat Sciver-Brunt dedicates WPL's maiden century to wife and kid, lauds partnership with Matthews

Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 100 off 57 deliveries, laced with 16 fours and a six, powered Mumbai Indians to a formidable 199 for 4 in their 20 overs against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in match 16 of the ongoing WPL 2026 at the BCA Stadium in Vadodara on Monday.

After becoming the first player to score a WPL hundred, Sciver-Brunt revealed the emotional motivation behind her performance. "I want to dedicate this to Katherine and Theodore. They have come over to India to support me. That was at the back of my mind, and I am very thankful for that," she said in an interview with WPL after the match.

"The wicket was very different from what we played against DC. Hayley (Matthews) and I had to establish a partnership. I thought it was important that we spend a little time and try to hit a few boundaries to increase the run rate. I was not in the zone, but then I got to hit a couple of boundaries, and then I enjoyed myself a lot," she explained.

The major highlight of Mumbai's innings was the 131-run partnership between Sciver-Brunt and opener Hayley Matthews, who contributed a fluent 56 off 39 balls, including nine boundaries. The English all-rounder praised Matthews not only for her batting but also for her all-round impact.

"I am very pleased for her because she had an injury on her shoulder, and she wants to contribute more to the Mumbai Indians than she has done so far in the tournament. She did a brilliant job today, not just the partnership with me but also taking those crucial wickets," Sciver-Brunt said.

"We have so many crucial partnerships over the last four years that we have played together, and we seem to understand each other pretty well," she said.

Despite posting a challenging total, Sciver-Brunt admitted the match turned out to be closer than expected. "The game went a little bit closer than we expected, and I am very happy with the runs on the board," she said.

While chasing the target, Bengaluru fought hard through a sensational knock by wicketkeeper-batter Richa Ghosh, who smashed 90 off 50 balls with 16 boundaries. However, her effort went in vain as RCB finished on 184 for 9, falling short by 15 runs.

For RCB, pacer Lauren Bell impressed with figures of 2 for 21, and Sciver-Brunt was quick to acknowledge her fellow England teammate's form.

"Lauren Bell is bowling really well in this competition, and through her spells, she is creating problems for the opening batters. I am very happy that she is in great form and she is a great person as well," she added.

With the victory, the Mumbai Indians kept their playoff hopes alive, while the Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered their second consecutive defeat. (ANI)