‘Trent Rockets’ v ‘Manchester Originals’, at Trent Bridge on 15 August
Receiving her second ‘Match Hero’ cap-and-medal, Lizelle Lee told Mark Butcher that she’d ‘love to come back (if invited to play next year in ‘The Hundred’) ‘to prove she could have done better’ for the team. Against commentator’s expectations, South Africans Lizelle Lee (47* runs from 45 balls) and Mignon du Preez (10 runs from 11 balls) saw ‘Originals’ beating ‘Rockets’ for a consolation win. Guest commentator, Tammy Beaumont commended ‘Originals’’ for ‘putting-an-end’ to ‘Rockets’’ tournament aspirations; leaving an outside chance that her own team (‘Spirit’) might qualify instead
The Hundred’s’ 29th match was broadcast live (commentators included Charles Dagnall, Darren Gough, Mark Butcher, Simon Doull, with guest Tammy Beaumont) from SKY Sports TV; also cricket social media (Sashank Kishore and P Ranjith for EPSN-cric-info.) Before the match, ‘Rockets’: made one change, playing Nancy Harman for Emily Windsor. ‘Originals’ were unchanged, Harmanpreet Kaur having returned to India. Skipper Kate Cross said she was ‘looking to put the dampener’ on aspirations ‘Rockets’’ had, expecting to qualify for a place in the final
Previously, the outcome of both team’s last matches was unpredictable. Playing without Indian superstar Harmanpreet Kaur, ‘Originals’ as outsiders, beat ‘Superchargers’ in a similar manner. Meanwhile, ‘Rockets’ needed an enquiry into how they lost to outsiders ‘Phoenix’: both team’s star bowlers taking 3 wickets each
* ‘Rockets’ made 20 without loss from 5 overs of ‘power-play’ (compared to ‘Originals’ 35/0): said to be ‘Rockets’ lowest power-play score
*‘Originals’ spinners Sophie Ecclestone and Hannah Jones each conceded only two runs from their first overs
*Sammy-Jo Johnson lobbed a return-catch:- dropped by Hannah Jones who suffered a sore finger
*Four balls later Johnson struck ‘six’ from Jones; Johnson striking 3 more ‘sixes,’ and topping the tournament table for scoring most ‘sixes’ to date (9)
*’Originals’’ spinner Alex Hartley removed both openers
*Sammy-Jo Johnson (33 runs from 19 balls) was caught at ‘short mid-wicket’ by Emma Lamb
*’Rockets’ made 60/2 by the mid-way point
*Next ball, skipper Natalie Sciver (13) was caught by Sophie Ecclestone, off skipper Kate Cross.
*Around the three-quarter mark
(85/4) Katherine Brunt (15) was caught by Lizelle Lee, for a similar low score
*Hannah Jones took a catch with her sore finger to dismiss Australian Heather Graham from a top edge, from Sophie Ecclestone’s (2/11) penultimate over
*Next ball, Abigail Freeborn went ‘leg before’ for a golden duck with six balls remaining
*Commentators said that despite their desperation to win, ’Rocket’s’ score was just not enough
*Between innings, Charles Dagnall asked Alex Hartley (‘Originals’) if she was happy with her performance? Hartley felt that ‘Rockets’ were at least ‘10-20 runs’ below-par and (prophetically) that would ‘stop them’ from reaching the final
*Opening for ‘Originals’ Emma Lamb and Lizelle Lee made their ‘fifty’ partnership from 42 deliveries, establishing a tournament record for their team (96 runs)
*The last ball of the powerplay saw Sarah Glenn at ‘cover point’ drop what NZ sports personality Simon Doull believed was ‘an absolute sitter’ of a catch, from Sammy-Jo Johnson’s bowling
*Reaching mid-way, (79/0 vs 60/2) commentators expressed concern that ‘Originals’ were 25 balls in front (‘Rockets’ having made 81 after 75 balls) concluding that ‘Rockets’ had missed their chances; ‘things were starting to unravel’ and (‘Rockets’) were ‘on their way out’ (of the tournament)
*Emma Lamb’s wicket was the only ‘Originals’’ wicket to fall, caught by Katherine Brunt off Georgia Davis
*Lizelle Lee’s fellow South African Mignon du Preez replaced Emma Lamb.
*Thereafter, ‘Originals’ coasted home as their run-chase fell below one-run-per-ball
*Finally, Lizelle Lee ‘walloped’ Katherine Brunt for the winning ‘four’ at which point ’Rockets’ were knocked-out by ‘Originals’ for a 9-wicket consolation win
Result: ‘Manchester Originals Women’ 124/1 beat ‘Trent Rockets’ 122/6 by 9 wickets with 13 balls remaining
‘Trent Rockets W’ (TR-W) 122/6 (20 ov, 1.22 runs-per-ball) Sammy-Jo Johnson 33 runs (from 19 balls), Sarah Glenn 23 (12), Heather Graham 21 (22), Natalie Sciver 13 (13); ‘Originals’ bowling: Sophie Ecclestone 2/11, Kate Cross 2/21, Alex Hartley 2/25; Fow: 1-29, 2-48, 3-60, 4-85, 5-110, 6-110
‘Manchester Originals W’ (MO-W) 124/1 (87/100 balls, 1.42 runs-per-ball) Lizelle Lee 47* runs (from 45 balls), Emma Lamb 46(31), Mignon du Preez 10*(11); ‘Rockets’ bowling: Georgia Davis 1/9; Fow 1-96
Footnote: Neither ‘Trent Rockets’ or ‘Manchester Originals’ can qualify for a place in the final
