A record 22,542 people packed into Lord’s to see Northern Superchargers overpower Southern Brave by seven wickets and lift their first Women’s Hundred title.
Kate Cross and Annabel Sutherland struck twice each as Brave were restricted to 115-6, before Nicola Carey and Sutherland guided the Superchargers home with 12 balls to spare.
Brave had hoped to defend their crown, but never built momentum. Freya Kemp, Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Sophie Devine all reached the 20s, yet none went on, leaving their side short of a competitive total.
Both sides were unchanged heading into the final: Brave coming off the back of an unbeaten run in the group stage, while the Superchargers claimed an emphatic victory over London Spirit in the eliminator yesterday, thanks to a Davina Perrin century.
Hollie Armitage won the toss and elected to bowl first at Lord’s. She gave the new ball to Grace Ballinger, who started well. The left-armer conceded six runs in the first ten balls. The Southampton-based team fought back into the game well, with Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier launching consecutive sixes off the bowling of Sutherland and Cross.
The pair put on 28 for the opening partnership before Bouchier sliced a wider delivery from Cross into the hands of Armitage at cover.
The Lancastrian seamer then dismissed Laura Wolvaardt with a beautiful delivery, seaming the ball back in to the batter, to claim two wickets in two balls.
Wyatt-Hodge continued to attack, finding the rope on another two occasions, but was eventually dismissed by Sutherland for 25. The ball nipped down the slope to cramp her for room, crashing into the top of middle stump. After 40 balls, Southern Brave were teetering on 43-3.
Devine and Kemp rebuilt for the Brave, adding 47 as a pair. Kemp was undoubtedly more positive. The Kiwi struggled to get going, and despite smashing a few boundaries through the leg side, never managed to catch up to a run-a-ball. She finished on 23 off 28.
Kemp, on the other hand, batted fluently, finding boundaries consistently, but could only add 26.
The duo fell in quick succession, leaving their side 92-5 after 81 balls. Devine fell first, dragging a slog sweep from outside off into the hands of Phoebe Litchfield in the deep. Kemp looked to continue her aggressive style, but also skied a catch towards cow corner.
Carnage continued for the Brave, with Georgia Adams barbequing herself a few balls later. The skipper was looking to turn over the strike and set off for a quick single, but Chloe Tryon was unmoved at the non-strikers’ end, leaving a simple run out for Cross.
Mady Villiers helped Brave with a flurry of boundaries at the death, but the target of 116 felt underwhelming at the halfway stage.
A watchful start for the Superchargers saw them cruise to 33-1 at the end of the powerplay. Davina Perrin, the only victim, was caught at mid-off for 17.
From the outset, Litchfield showed why she is one of the most highly rated players in the game, finding the boundary on all her first four balls.
Superchargers continued to attack, but lost wickets on either side of a short rain break.
First came a comical moment, as Villiers had Alice Davidson-Richards stumped attempting a reverse paddle after the ball ricocheted off Rhianna Southby’s pad. The keeper knew little about it, but that didn’t stop Brave celebrating.
A few sets later, Chloe Tryon dismissed the dangerous Litchfield. The Australian looked to sweep but looped a catch off the top edge to Bell at short fine-leg.
Despite the wickets, Superchargers needed 51 from the final fifty balls and continued to make headway with Carey and Sutherland at the crease.
Misfields plagued the Brave’s bowling innings as the northern side cruised towards the total. Both Bell and Wyatt-Hodge let balls slip through to the boundary, while even simple throws back into the bowler allowed overthrows.
The Australian pair continued to build, moving the Superchargers close to victory. Bell thought she bowled Sutherland at one point, but replays show the ball clipped the bail but failed to knock it out of the grooves of the stumps.
Sometimes it’s not your day, and it felt like that for the Brave today.
In the end, Carey and Sutherland finished unbeaten, adding 60 for the fourth-wicket partnership, and the side in purple became the fourth winners of the Women’s Hundred.
