Northern Supercharges Women v Birmingham Phoenix Women Women’s Hundred at Headingley August 15th

Neil Whitaker reports

THE Northern Supercharges went to the top of the Women’s Hundred with an eight wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix with 26 balls to spare at Headingley.

Leading the Supercharges home was Phoebe Litchfield who hit an unbeaten 59 and Annabel Sutherland who was not out on 20 after adding 58  for the third wicket.   But the real damage was caused with the ball by the Supercharges. Birmingham Phoenix lost five wickets for 15 runs in 20 balls.  It was thanks to a seventh wicket partnership of 57 between Emily Arlott,who top scored with 32, and Sterre Kallis who hit an unbeaten 24.

It was a good all round performance from the Supercharges’ bowlers.  The wickets were split between Grace Ballinger, Linsey Smith and Lucy Higham.  But the best performance came from Sutherland who despite not taking a wicket was involved in taking two wickets. And she only conceded 21 runs in her 20 balls.

After her expensive first set Ballinger got a wicket when Amy  Jones drove her to Sutherland at long-on.  Sutherland was involved in the next dismissal, that of Elyse Perry. Kallis drove  her straight but Sutherland managed to get her fingertips on to the ball and ran out Perry

Marie Kelly backed away and cut Ballinger to the point boundary.  She  used her  long handle to Higham’s first ball but found Kate Cross  coming in from the long-on boundary. Alisa Lister drove Higham  but  managed to pick out  Cross  on the long off boundary who didn’t have to move an inch.

Deciding to bat, the Phoenix  made  an explosive start   with Georgia Voll hitting Ballinger for three boundaries but in the third set she was yorked by Smith.

With only four wickets to play with, Kallis and Arlott were restricted by ignoring going for the boundaries but nudging the ball around to give their bowlers something to bowl at.

In the Supercharges stroll to victory the  left hander Litchfield smashed Arlott to the square leg boundary.  She lofted Hannah Baker for a one bounce four to the long-off boundary.  In Baker’s  next set she took a couple of paces down the pitch and got the same result.

She drove the unfortunate Baker straight to the long-off boundary as her first 10 balls cost 25 runs. With 17 needed, Litchfield cut Arlott  to the point but was dropped.

The Phoenix should have had a wicket when Perrin hooked Megan Schutt to Baker on the fine leg boundary but she could only parry it over the boundary for a six,

Alice Davidson-Richards cut Perry over point to the point boundary.  On 10 she had another life when she chipped  Millie Taylor to Kelly at mid-on but she couldn’t hold on to the chance.

The Phoenix did get a wicket when Kallis and Arlott combined to take it.  Perrin clipped  Arlott off her toes and Kallis running around from mid-on took the catch with the ball coming over her left shoulder.

The Northern Supercharges lost their second wicket when Davidson-Richard’s was adjudged leg before to Taylor after a review.

SCORECARD