Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy in brutal start for Aussies in Women's Premier League

Aussie cricket favourites Meg Lanning and Alyssa Healy got off to disappointing starts in the Women's Premier League having both lost their matches on the final ball in brutal circumstances. Lanning led the Delhi Capitals out for their first clash of the second edition of the tournament, but was unsuccessful after the franchise lost on the final ball as the Mumbai Indians chased down 171.

Healy shared the same outcome after the UP Warriorz lost to the Royal Challengers by two runs on the last ball in another thriller. And captain Beth Mooney then followed the duo with the Giants going down to the Mumbai Indians in a comfortable run chase.

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The Mumbai Indians, defeated Lanning's Capitals in the first game, were way too strong for the Giants having chased down 126 with 11 balls remaining. Mooney endured a tough first season of the tournament after hurting her calf in the very first game. This ruled her out for the remainder of the tournament.

However, she returns to lead the franchise and admitted she was happy to be wearing Giants colours again after a tough inaugural season. "I was a bit nervous but got through it unscathed fortunately," she said.

Harmanpreet Kaur moved past Aussie Lanning with the most runs ever in the tournament having scored an unbeaten 46 runs off 41 balls. Mooney managed to score 24 runs at the top of the order, but her Giants middle order collapsed in a brutal start to the tournament.

Aussie star Phoebe Litchfield went cheaply for seven runs on her debut and when Mooney was dismissed the team were struggling at 5-58. Ash Gardner was able to end the innings with a quick 15 as Kathryn Bryce put on 25 to give the bowlers something to defend. But it was all too easy for the Giants as captain Harmanpreet guided her team to 5-129.

"We let ourselves down in the first 10 overs," Mooney said as she praised the performance of Scotland captain Bryce, who she described as a "a great find". "She was very good tonight, hopefully this is just a sign of things to come. It is disappointing to lose, but she was one of the positives." Lanning's Capitals will play Healy's Warriorz in their next clash, guaranteeing a victory for one Australian captain.

Beth Mooney returns from injury

Last year, Beth Mooney was ruled out of the tournament after injuring herself while batting in her Gujarat Giants side in the opening match of India's inaugural Women's Premier League. Mooney just faced four balls before she went down injured. She was helped from the field and retired hurt without scoring.

The Aussie returned to form this summer against South Africa having peeled off 82 from just 55 balls as the Aussies chased down South Africa's total of 7-162 in the third T20 clash. In doing so she moved into outright second on the list of most 50-plus scores in women's T20 internationals. Mooney now has 24 scores of 50 or more in T20Is, just four behind Suzie Bates' all-time record of 28.

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