Nat Sciver-Brunt revealed she was determined not to fall short in the 90s after becoming the first cricketer in Women’s Premier League history to score a century across four editions on Monday.

The England captain produced a commanding unbeaten 100 off just 57 balls, smashing 16 fours and a six, to propel Mumbai Indians to a formidable 199 for four. MI then held their nerve despite a fierce counterattack from Richa Ghosh, who blazed her way to 90 off 50 deliveries with 10 fours and six sixes, as Mumbai defeated Royal Challengers Bengaluru by 15 runs.

“I’ve seen a few players get out in the 90s, so I didn’t want to replicate that,” Sciver-Brunt told the broadcaster. “At the same time, I wanted to get as many runs as possible for the team.

“It’s obviously special to reach that milestone, but more importantly, it was about putting runs on the board. These last two games are basically knockout matches for us, so to perform like that and build such a strong partnership with Hayley Matthews was massive,” she said, referring to their 131-run stand for the second wicket.

Before Sciver-Brunt’s landmark knock, Georgia Voll and Sophie Devine had agonisingly fallen one run short on 99, while Alyssa Healy, Beth Mooney and Smriti Mandhana were dismissed on 96 in previous editions of the tournament.

Sciver-Brunt credited her consistent preparation and mindset for finally breaking the barrier. “I’m really happy with how it turned out. It’s about preparing the same way and mentally turning up in the same place each time,” she said.

“I was just reacting to the ball, playing to the field, sticking to my strengths and backing the shots I like to play. It’s my first T20 century, so I’m delighted to get past that milestone and hopefully it’s not the last.”

Also Read: History made! Nat Sciver-Brunt hits first century in Women’s Premier League

Mumbai Indians skipper Harmanpreet Kaur praised the team’s unity after the win lifted the defending champions to second place on the points table.

“This is our fourth year playing together and we know each other really well. That’s something special about MI — whenever the team is challenged, someone always steps up,” Harmanpreet said.

“That short break really helped us. We spent time together, bonded well and spoke about how to approach these last two games, and it showed on the field.”

(By PTI Inputs)