Northern Superchargers Women v Birmingham Phoenix at Leeds (Emerald Headingley) on 17 August
Receiving her match hero cap-and-medal, Eve Jones was congratulated by Nasser Hussain, on her ‘fifty’ (from 39 balls) and also as 3rd highest tournament run-getter (233)
Earlier, between innings, Eve Jones told Charles Dagnall she was ‘hopeful there were enough runs on the board’ (to win the match)
Eve Jones also caught Lauren Winfield-Hill just before ‘Superchargers’ made their team 100. Eve Jones said she was ‘pretty chuffed’ with the catch. For batting Jones holds third position behind Sophia Dunkley (244) and Jemimah Rodrigues (251) Eve Jones explained to Nasser Hussain that she’d been working on ‘power-hitting down the ground’
The Hundred’s’ 31st match was broadcast live (commentators included Charles Dagnall, Darren Gough, Nasser Hussain, with guest Kate Cross from SKY Sports TV; also cricket social media (Sashank Kishore and P Ranjith for EPSN-cric-info.) Between matches, top star-batter Jemimah Rodrigues (248 runs) had recorded a guitar duet with Mark Butcher, for social media
Both teams were poised in a knock-out match, to play ‘Invincibles’ in Friday’s Eliminator. Skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill said that ‘Superchargers’ were playing their ‘best team with no excuses’ with Australian Laura Kimmince for Bess Heath. For ‘Phoenix,’ skipper said that Phoebe Franklin replaced Georgia Elwiss
‘Phoenix’ got off to a flying start, skipper Amy Jones scoring 24 runs from 11 balls *Top scorer was Eve Jones (64 from 47)
*Both left-and-right-handed-Jonses were caught by South African Laura Wolvaardt
*By mid-way, ‘Phoenix’ were 74-2; doubling their score with the loss of 2 more wickets to 147
*Australians Erin Burns (28* from 22) and Katie Mack (14) played a useful batting cameo
*Commentators said this was ‘Phoenix’s’ highest score, setting their opponents the tournament’s highest run-chase (148)
*After the power-play, ‘Superchargers’ were 37-1, having lost Jemimah Rodrigues (3) to the Australians: Caught by Katie Mack, from Erin Burns’ bowling
*Next 5 overs had both teams on equal-footing as skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill (64 runs from 38 balls) and Laura Wolvaardt (32 from 26) overtook the required run rate
*’Phoenix’ skipper Amy Jones called Time-out on 72/1 (vs 68/2): at which point ‘Superchargers’ needed 76 runs from 55 balls
*Next over, Winfield-Hill struck ‘four’ – scoring her ‘fifty’ (53 runs from 29 balls)
*Passing mid-way (79/1 vs 74/2) ‘Phoenix’ dropped two catches in 3 deliveries, one catch described by Gough as ‘an absolute sitter’
*’Phoenix’ fortunes improved when Eve Jones caught ‘Superchargers” skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill, from Issy Wong
*New batters needed 37 runs from 19 balls remaining *’Phoenix’ were content to police the boundary as ’Superchargers’ were scoring ‘singles’ when they needed ‘fours’ and ‘sixes’
*Tension mounted as more wickets fell to errors of judgment
*Gough reported there had been ‘no boundaries for 29 balls’ – by which time it was too late, with 8 balls remaining
Result: ‘Birmingham Phoenix -W’ 147/4 beat ‘Northern Superchargers -W’ 133/6 by 14 runs
‘Birmingham Phoenix -W’ (BP-W) 147/4 (20-ov 1.47 runs-per-ball); Eve Jones 64 runs (from 47 balls) Erin Burns 28*(22), Amy Jones 24 (11) Katie Mack 14 (15); ‘Superchargers’ bowling: Kate Levick 2/23, Linsey Smith 1/22, Kalea Moore 1/28; Fow 1-8, 2-33, 3-90, 4-138;
‘Northern Superchargers -W’ (NS-W) 133/6 (20-ov 1.33rpb; Lauren Winfield-Hill 64(38), Laura Wolvaardt 32(26);‘Phoenix’ bowling: Issy Wong 2/23, Erin Burns 1/21, Abtaha Maqsood 1/21, Emily Arlott 1/23, Kirsty Gordon 1/34; Fow 1-30, 2-97, 3-111, 4-111, 5-119, 6-132;
Footnote: All things being equal ‘ceteris paribus,’ ‘Birmingham Phoenix’ qualify for Friday’s Eliminator
