Northern Supercharges v Oval Invincibles

Nel Whitaker reports

THE  Northern Supercharges managed to pull off a five run victory over the Oval Invincibles at Emerald Headingley after only posting 109 in their hundred  balls to go top of the hundred league.

Needing 23 from 10 balls  Linsey  Smith bowled a rank full toss from Invincibles captain Dane Van Nierkerk who despatched straight to the boundary and repeated the shot to the next ball.  She managed to squeeze the next ball to the point boundary.

Alice Davidson-Richards bowled the final five balls and conceded a single from the first by Sarah Bryce, Van Niekerk got a couple then a single.  With six required off to Bryce pulled the penultimate ball to Bess  Heath on the long on boundary.  The Invincibles couldn’t get the six off the last ball.

She said: “It was unbelievable, I enjoyed it so much, at the halfway stage  I didn’t think that we had enough.  That was a hell of a win from the team. Everyone pitched in at some point.  We hung in there as long as possible, and it paid off.  We always thought we had a chance with that total, knowing it was quite a hard wicket to bat on. We squeezed really well.  It’s been a not too shabby start for us, except for the rain on Wednesday at Emirates Old Trafford.  We can’t complain.”

Put into bat the Northern Supercharges soon lost their first wicket when the inform Rodrigues edged Villiers behind for 14 which included three fours.

Davidson-Richards top scored for the Supercharges with 42  and was seventh out when she clipped  Tash Farrant off her legs and found Eva Gray on the deep mid wicket boundary.  She shared in the major partnership of the Supercharges of 39 in balls with Eolvarardt off 29 balls.  The part was broken when Wolvaardt went down the wicket to Alice Capsey and edged her to Bryce.  Two balls later Heath gave a fierce return catch to Capsey.

The Invincibles skipper Van Niererk used seven bowlers in their hundred and Capsey was  the pick with two for nine in her 20 balls closely followed by Villiers who took two for 19 in her 20 balls.

The rest of the Supercharges innings was a procession as only Kiala  Moore, who came in at number eight and was eighth out with 11 reached double figures.  On six, Moore survived  a double play off Gibbs.  First she survived a leg before appeal  and then a stumping appeal.  The Invincibles finally got her when she. pulled Farrant to Gibbs on the square leg boundary.

Lauren Winfield-Hill drove Gibbs to Mandy Villiers on the mid wicket boundary.  Laura Kimmince got off the mark with an underedge which ran to the boundary but after the strategic break she smacked the first ball from Gibbs to Capsey at point who took the catch above her head.  Smith tried to reverse sweep Villiers and was bowled round her legs.

Before she had scored in the Invincibles chase, Capsey pulled Davidson-Richards tantalising wide off Wolvaardt at mid wicket.  Seven runs later she drove Katie Levick just wide of Jemimah Rodrigues at cover and the ball ran to the boundary.

The Invincibles lost their first wicket on 19 when Capsey did well to reach a wide ball from Davidson-Richards and at point did well to take the catch in avoiding a collision.

Adams used the long handle to Levick and found Kimmince coming in from the long off boundary.  Wilson, like Adams used the long handle this time to Smith and again found Kimmince at the edge of the circle.

On two Van Niekerk smashed Davidson-Richards straight back to her and she had four or five attempts to take the catch but eventually she put it down.

Invincibles seamer Farrant said: “We’re very disappointed. We were brilliant in the first half, in the field. We would have taken that score every single time. With the batting, we just got behind the rate. It was quite a slow wicket. The batters said it was quite hard to get in on. We just needed someone to go a bit earlier.

“It was bittersweet to see my team-mate (South East Stars) Davidson-Richardson do really well.  That should have been an easy win for us.”