If there's anyone that was made for that occasion, it was her: Charlotte Edwards on Issy Wong's hat-trick

New Delhi, March 30 (IANS) Charlotte Edwards, the head coach of the victorious Mumbai Indians team in the inaugural Womens Premier League (WPL), said tearaway pacer Issy Wong's hat-trick in the eliminator against the UP Warriorz was a proof that the England youngster is made to perform for the big stage.

Thanks to Issy's efforts, Mumbai reached the final of the competition at the Brabourne Stadium. In the final, three more wickets from Issy, along with bowlers and Nat Sciver-Brunt coming good with the bat meant Mumbai defeated Delhi Capitals to lift the trophy.

"That's why we signed her. I knew she was totally capable of doing that. I'd watched her play in the little amount she has for England, but also in regional cricket, and if there's anyone that was made for that occasion, it was Issy Wong.

I just knew it. That night, I knew she'd get a hat-trick, I said to Lyds (Lydia Greenway), 'She's gonna get this', because she kept looking at the stumps like she was going to bowl her. The crowd, the noise, it was probably my highlight of the WPL, that moment where she got the hat-trick," said Charlotte on the Sky Sports Cricket Daggers and Lyds podcast.

The 20-year old Issy made her international debut in all three formats for England in 2022. In her hat-trick, she took out Kiran Navgire, Simran Shaikh and Sophie Ecclestone to finish with overall figures of 4/15 to take Mumbai to the final and eventually, to the trophy.

"Because to see her reaction, and though the game wasn't necessarily in the balance, we needed to get Navgire out, and she (Wong) just transformed that game within three balls. And we obviously knew then we'd won that game. The atmosphere was unbelievable," added Charlotte.

Lydia, Charlotte's former England team-mate, who worked with Mumbai as their fielding coach in WPL 2023 signalled out Issy as a big player in the future of women's international cricket.

"I think the other thing with Issy, is that you often see players who are made or broken in front of big crowds, and pressure situations, and they either go one way or the other. Even in our first game, she came out last in most, she just clubbed it for six, and then ran off bowling. You can just see by the way she carries herself, she wants to be in the key moments," she said.

"There was another game where she got cramps, but was still happy to bowl the last over. She's got brilliant characteristics, and I'm sure from watching from home, by the way she carries herself, that she's one for the future," she added.

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