Northern Superchargers v Welsh Fire The Hundred at Headingley August 7th

Neil Whitaker reports

ZAK Crawley hit an unbeaten 67 on his Northern Supercharges debut as they beat the Welsh Fire by eight wickets at Headingley.

He said: “I loved it. It was a great performance by the boys.  I just tried to play good shots on a fast outfield.  The expectation I have is to play well in every match I play and I want to play as many games as  I can.”

Crawley greeted Luke  Wells’ first ball by hitting straight for a big six.  On 45 he  drove Josh Hull to Paul Walter at mid-on who dove to his left but he could only parry it.   Crawley reached his 50,which came off 34 balls,by hitting Hull for a six.

He opened the Supercharges innings with Dawid Malan and they put on 92 for the first wicket.  Malan really set the tempo for the partnership and the  Supercharges innings and Crawley was ready to play the supporting role until his chance came. His one slice of luck came when he edged David Payne just wide off stumper Jonny Bairstow to the third man boundary.

Malan clipped Hull off his legs for a six over fine leg that didn’t go above six feet in the air.  He clipped David Payne off his legs and the ball went up in the air and looked for all money that Malan would be on his way back to the hutch.  But the ball had enough legs on it to reach the fine leg boundary where Saif Zaib parried it over.

He top edged a pull that went over Bairstow’s head for another six. Malan cut the next ball from Riley Meredith and Hull   at gully could only parry it.  The partnership was broken when the Supercharges were only 62 runs from victory and Malan nine short of his 50.

Michael Peper didhang about long.  He  was given out leg before to  Meredith on four but he reviewed it and the replay showed it to be hitting,

Supercharges captain Harry Brook drove his first ball over extra cover for a six.  He clipped Hull off his legs but found Saif Zaib on the square leg boundary.   Brook was relieved when the ball went straight through his hands.

Put into bat the Welsh Fire’s  unlikely pairing of Steve Smith and  Bairstow worked as they blasted their way to 62 off 36 balls before Smith tried to reverse sweep  Matty Potts and was bowled.  After  Smith’s dismissal the Welsh Fire’s innings fell apart. Wells nibbled at the next ball and stumper Pepper took a simple catch. Tom Abell survived the hat trick ball by guiding Potts to the point boundary.

Bairstow employed deft flicks and glances to reach the boundary until he drilled Adil Rashid  straight and found Crawley on the long-on boundary.

Abell cut Tom Lawes to the point boundary; he was run out after he was sent back by Tom Kohler-Cadmore after Abell had nearly completed two runs. 

Appropriately playing for the Welsh Fire Kohler-Cadmore  was dismissed with the Welsh Drag-on when he dragged Lawes from well outside his off stump.

Walter swept Dan Lawrence for a big six over mid-wicket into the East stand.  Going for another six he  top edged a flat batted drive off Rashid and found Crawley on the long-on boundary.

Saif Zaib drove Imad Wasim and Brook took a great catch leaping to his right at long-off. Two balls later Payne had a big swing at Imad Wasim, missed the ball and was bowled.

Chris Green clipped  Mohammad Aamer and found Lawrence on the long-on boundary.

Welsh Fife Captain Abell said: “It’s disappointing to loose and not the best way we wanted  to start.  We did get ourselves into great positions but we didn’t get more than one or two partnerships. I don’t think that we were too far off ita d a coup,E of chances didn't go our way. But credit to the say  that they bowled.”

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