Southern Brave vs Manchester Originals at The Ageas Bowl Southampton on 18 August (15h30)
Australia’s Amanda-Jade Wellington second 3-fer turned the tenth women’s match of ‘The Hundred’ from what seemed to commentators like a ‘perfect position’ (for Originals forecast to win) into a procession of batters, each failing to make double-figures. Receiving ‘match hero’ from Daren Sammy, POTM Amanda-Jade Wellington (3/27) said that she was pleased that Brave’s openers (Smriti and Danni) set-up ’a really good spot.’ Also that her ‘wrong-‘un’ ball’ worked just as well as at the Commonwealth Games. Wellington has bagged seven wickets from three matches as Brave retain first-place. Match was broadcast via SKY Sports YouTube channel – please see below – with presenter Zainab Abbas, plus commentators: Lydia Greenway, Simon Doull (NZ), Alex Tudor, Eoin Morgan, Daren Sammy; with guest Sarah Taylor coaching Originals’ keeper Ellie Threlkeld. Also BBC 5LSX, ESPN-cric-info and other social media. Weather was cooler following overnight rain, sunny with a fresh breeze 18C.
Brave Innings
Skipper Shrubsole said Brave were unchanged. *After 25 balls of power-play, Brave were 42/0. *India’s Smriti Mandhana (43) played an elegant innings ’scoring very freely.’ *Hitting the 17th ball for ’six’ proved an expensive set-of-five for Lea Tahuhu (NZ). A second ’six’ brought-in Sophie Ecclestone (World’s No.1 bowler) much sooner than expected. *Commentator Simon Doull said that Smriti Mandhana was ‘off to a flyer’ when the score reached 42/0 after 25 balls. *Sophie Ecclestone received similar treatment with another ’six’ from the 38th delivery. *Bringing herself on to bowl, skipper Cross’s second set-of-five balls caused problems firstly for Danni Wyatt who chopped late for a single; secondly Smriti Mandhana who was caught by Emma Lamb at ‘deep square-leg;’ and thirdly for Sophia Dunkley, ‘living dangerously’ facing two balls. *By mid-way, Brave were 71/1. *Danni Wyatt (31) missed a slog-sweep and was clean-bowled by Sophie Ecclestone. *Six balls later, Tahlia McGrath (3) went for the same shot, but castled by spinner Hannah Jones. *Two more wickets fell in the closing stages. *Drama struck when Sophia Dunkley sent back Maia Bouchier, when Deandre Dottin’s return throw came in for a ‘run-out’ that wasn’t. *Commentators remained uninformed whilst Umpires reviewed whether Dottin’s foot crossed the boundary before making the throw. *Stranded some way down the wicket, Maia Bouchier was more than relieved that ‘four’ was given and she kept her wicket. *Sophia Dunkley (25) was caught by Kate Cross at ‘long-on,’ from Sophie Ecclestone. *Finally, Freya Kemp was run-out by Hannah Jones attempting a second run from Kate Cross’ final ball. *Between innings, Sophia Dunkley talked to Alex Tudor about the ‘run-out’ that wasn’t. *She replied humorously: ‘Don’t run whenever Dottin has got the ball!’
Originals Innings
Skipper Kate Cross said that Lea Tahuhu replaced partner Amy Satterthwaite. Emma Lamb 57 was top-scorer, but Brave bowlers sent away internationals Deandre Dottin and Lizelle Lee with disappointingly low scores. *Commentators were critical that Brave bowled ‘without deep-square-leg:’ that allowed Emma Lamb to make more use of her leg-side. *After 25 balls of power-play, scores were neck-and-neck: 40/0 vs 42/0.) *Bowling a set-of-ten, Amanda-Jade Wellington’s fifth ball was chipped from Lizelle Lee’s (South Africa) leading edge, ballooning a ‘comfortable’ catch taken by Smriti Mandhana at mid-off. *By mid-way, scores were still level-pegging: 72/1 (vs 71/1); Originals were said to need 65 to win (from 50 balls.) *Three balls later, Amanda-Jade Wellington struck again. *Deandre Dottin was said to be ‘in two minds’ about which way to play Wellington’s ‘wrong-un,’ lobbed straight back for a return catch. *Georgia Adams, Freya Kemp and Anya Shrubsole stemmed the run-rate with Ami Campbell and Emma Lamb at the crease, with strategic time-out called in-between after 65 balls (at 91/2 with 46 needed from 35 balls remaining). *Commentators curse struck when Simon Doull said that Originals were ‘in a perfect position.’ *Thereafter, wickets fell during each set of remaining fives, resulting in a tight finish. *Firstly Ami Campbell found Lauren Bell unplayable and ‘chipped weakly’ to Danni Wyatt at extra-cover. *Next over, Amanda-Jade Wellington’s fourth ball snatched Sophie Ecclestone’s wicket, ’slicing a loft’ caught inside the circle by Smriti Mandhana. *Thirdly, Anya Shrubsole saw two wickets fall within five balls. Lea Tahuhu was run-out, receiving at the bowler’s end from Danni Wyatt. *Five balls later, Emma Lamb lobbed a dolly caught by Georgia Adams from Shrubsole’ slower ball. *Originals aspirations were ‘ closed-out’ during the final two fives, leaving Originals short by 9 runs. Skipper Kate Cross found Lauren Bell unplayable, spooning a short ball to mid-off. *Finally, Tahlia McGrath diverted Ellie Threlkeld’s return ball straight onto the stumps at the bowler’s end, to run-out Cordelia Griffith. *Three batters made double figures; seven batters failing to make it into double-figures.
Summary
TV statisticians forecasting the eventual winners went off-beam as Australia’s Amanda-Jade Wellington took her second 3-fer, taking 7 wickets to date from this year’s tournament. Speaking afterward to Lydia Greenway, Brave’s skipper Anya Shrubsole said that (she doesn’t interfere) – and was happy to let Wellington ‘get on with it.’ Between innings, Alex Tudor was dispatched to interview Sophia Dunkley about an incident involving Deandre Dottin’s fielding, where there was a misunderstanding between Dunkley and Maia Bouchier. Seeing Dunkley and Bouchier standing at the same end, commentators were slow to notice Umpires checking to see whether Deandre Dottin’s foot had touched the boundary – in which case ‘four’ runs were scored. Amusingly, Sophia Dunkley quipped that: ‘You don’t run whenever Dottin has got the ball!’ A little later, once Original’s replied. Opener Emma Lamb scored ‘fifty’ but Deandre Dottin and Lizelle Lee came away with disappointingly low scores. Thereafter, Originals lost all hope of a final-over win as no batters made double-figures. Earlier, commentators sounded convinced that Brave lacked a defendable score. Once Emma Lamb made her ‘fifty,’ they sounded a little one-sided. Chalking-up their third back-to-back win, Brave remain top-of-table with maximum 6 points.
Result: Southern Brave Women 136/6 beat Manchester Originals Women 127/8 by 9 runs
Southern Brave batting: 136/5 (100 balls, 1.36 runs-per-ball); Smriti Mandhana 43(25), Danni Wyatt 31(24), Sophia Dunkley 25(21) Maia Bouchier 23*(17) Freya Kemp 11(7); Manchester Originals bowling: Sophie Ecclestone 2/32, Hannah Jones 1/18, Kate Cross 1/25; Fow 1-64, 2-78, 3-81, 4-114, 5-136.
Manchester Originals batting: 127/8 (target 137 from 100 balls, 1.27 runs-per-ball) Emma Lamb 57(45), Lizelle Lee 25(16), Deandre Dottin 12(12); Southern Brave bowling: Amanda-Jade Wellington 3/27, Lauren Bell 2/17, Anya Shrubsole 1/17; Fow 1-46, 2-77, 3-102, 4-112, 5-114, 6-118, 7–118, 8-126
Scorecard & Statistics at URL: https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-hundred-women-s-competition-2022-1299144/southern-brave-women-vs-manchester-originals-women-10th-match-1299154/full-scorecard
Match highlights free-to-air from SKY Sports YouTube [07m24] at URL https://www.skysports.com/the-hundred/video/36891/12676071/brave-continue-unbeaten-run-hundred-highlights
Match hero Amanda-Jade Wellington’s post-match interview at URL https://www.skysports.com/the-hundred/video/36891/12676085/wellington-we-took-our-opportunities
Match video free-to-air from SKY Sports YouTube [32m46/03h30m10s] at URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PeRbEjBLhE
