The Sunrisers Leeds women’s team has secured a spot in The Hundred final, where they are set to compete against Ash Gardner’s Trent Rockets at Lord’s. This follows their victory in the ‘eliminator’ match, which saw them overcome Sophie Molineux’s Southern Brave.
The Sunrisers, who were known as Northern Superchargers last year, had a challenging chase against the Southern Brave’s total of 7-114. Key players for the Sunrisers, Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland, who have been leading run-scorers in the tournament, faced early setbacks. Litchfield was bowled for just four runs by Izzy Wong, and Sutherland fell for a quickfire 17 off 12 balls after a catch by Molineux off Sarah Glenn, leaving Leeds at 3-54.
The team then relied on the experience of Deepti Sharma and Lauren Winfield-Hill to stabilise their innings. Winfield-Hill contributed 37 runs, but her dismissal, along with captain Dani Gibson for zero, in successive balls to Wong, created further pressure. This brought Jess Jonassen to the crease, who ultimately guided the Sunrisers to victory.
Jonassen, an all-rounder, hit an unbeaten 10 off five balls, including the winning boundary. Sharma also played a crucial role, remaining unbeaten with 28 off 22. The Sunrisers reached their target of 115 with 11 balls and five wickets remaining, marking their fifth consecutive win. They are anticipated to be favourites against the Rockets, despite the Nottingham-based Rockets having lost only once throughout the tournament.
For the Southern Brave, it was a disappointing end to the summer for Molineux. She had hoped for another visit to Lord’s after leading Australia to T20 World Cup glory there. Molineux batted for 22 off 24, but not quickly enough, as the Brave struggled to build momentum after Lizelle Lee’s early contribution of 32. Another Australian player, Charli Knott, added 25 off 21 for the Brave. Jonassen also contributed with the ball, conceding only 13 runs from her 15 deliveries.
In the men’s eliminator match, Mitch Marsh’s Sunrisers Leeds faced a defeat against Manchester Super Giants. Marsh, who has been a top scorer in the event with 416 runs at an average of 46.22 and a strike-rate of 169.79, was dismissed for 10 off six balls while chasing the Super Giants’ formidable total of 4-186. He attempted to hit England paceman Josh Tongue’s delivery out of the ground but was caught by Sonny Baker at square leg.
Following Marsh’s departure, Harry Brook took on the responsibility for Leeds, scoring 49 off 31 balls. However, he was trapped lbw by Baker. The Sunrisers had already used all their reviews, which proved costly. Despite Ryan Rickelton’s unbeaten 54 off 34 balls, the Yorkshire team could not recover, finishing at 7-166 and losing by 20 runs. Tongue finished with figures of 4-26, and Baker took 2-39.
The foundation for the Super Giants’ victory was laid by Paul Walter, who scored 80 off 46 balls, and Heinrich Klaasen, who cracked 63 off 26. Captain Jos Buttler also contributed 33 off 20. In the upcoming final at Lord’s, Manchester Super Giants will play against a Trent Rockets side that includes Tim David, though he has scored 90 runs in seven innings so far in the tournament.
Reflecting on the women’s performance, Kim Garth, a bowler for Trent Rockets and Australia, described their team’s effort as an “incredible all round performance.” She noted the challenge of bowling at Lord’s due to the slope, stating, “It takes a while to get used to.” Garth also commented on the pitch conditions, observing that “When we bowled in good areas it seemed hard to score but when they came out and played good cricket shots with intent they got themselves in.” She expressed confidence in her team’s batters to chase a target of 92.
The women’s final between Trent Rockets and Sunrisers Leeds is scheduled for Sunday.
Source: bbc.com
