Today has been a ‘double double header’ day in The Hundred, and following my usual practice on such days I have listened to both women’s matches and am now tuned into the evening men’s match. This post looks back at what happened today and at how the table now shapes up.
WELSH FIRE v SOUTHERN BRAVE
Welsh Fire came into this match having lost all four of their fixtures this year, while Southern Brave had won all five of theirs. This should then have been an easy game for the Brave, and it looked to be playing out that way when Fire could do no better than 111 from their 100 balls batting first. However, although Brave seemed to have things under control for most of the chase they lost their way quite dramatically late on, and came very close to losing their unbeaten record this season. Off the penultimate ball of the match Georgia Adams played an airborne shot, Katie George made a superb effort in the field but dropped a desperately difficult chance and Adams was able to run the two that Brave needed to clinch the win with three wickets to spare. Fire performed excellently with the ball and in the field, but simply did not have enough runs to defend. Brave with six wins from six games have 24 points, and cannot now fail to qualify for Finals Day (and it will almost certainly be at the head of the table, getting them straight into the final). Fire by contrast are firmly pinned to the foot of the table, and even if every result from here on in goes their way cannot finish higher than fifth. Australian left arm spinner Jess Jonassen took 4-10 from her 20 balls for the Fire.
LONDON SPIRIT v NORTHERN SUPERCHARGERS
London Spirit won the toss and opted to bat first. That was the last moment at which anything went right for them. At low water mark they were 54-6, and over two-thirds of the way through their 100 balls. A minor fightback in the closing stages of their innings got them to 90-8, but that was miles short of a defensible total. Both openers for the Superchargers, Perrin and Davidson-Richards were out cheaply, but thereafter Phoebe Litchfield bossed proceedings, ably supported by another Australian, Annabel Sutherland. When Litchfield hit the winning runs in the form of her tenth four she moved to 55 not out off 38 balls, while Sutherland had 29 not out from 21 balls, and Superchargers had 34 balls as well as eight wickets to spare.
HOW THEY STAND
Southern Brave with a full haul of 24 points from six games are clear at the top. Northern Superchargers, Manchester Originals and London Spirit all have 16 points, also from six games each. Oval Invincibles have eight points from five games, which means that they are not quite out of it yet, but they are in the last chance saloon, with last orders having been called and the tables being cleaned and cleared around them, while Trent Rockets and Birmingham Phoenix are each on four points from five games, and will not feature beyond the group stage, and Welsh Fire, no points from five games bring up the rear. Even after todays wobbles the Southern Brave look by far the likeliest winners.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…
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