Manchester Originals edged to a Hundred derby win over Northern Superchargers as Amanda-Jade Wellington took two wickets and then scored a crucial unbeaten 33 amid some running chaos.
Originals, who can no longer reach the knockout stages, snapped a three-match losing streak with a three-wicket victory at Emirates Old Trafford, limiting the already-qualified Superchargers to 107-8 before stumbling past that total with one ball to spare.
Wellington, who revived the home side from 40-5 as she shared a sixth-wicket stand of 65 with Kathryn Bryce (32), was joined by an injured Sophie Ecclestone with three needed from four balls once Bryce was pinned lbw on the reverse sweep by Lucy Higham.
Ecclestone was given a runner after tweaking her calf bowling earlier in the game but forgot that fact as she completed a single off the first ball she faced before being run out next delivery – leaving Katie George to strike the winning two through the covers.
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Mahika Gaur celebrated her first call-up to the England squad by impressing for Originals in The Hundred
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Originals player Fi Morris took a superb caught and bowled at Emirates Old Trafford
Originals skipper Ecclestone, who only bowled five balls due to her leg injury, had already been rested for England’s upcoming T20 internationals and one-day internationals at home to Sri Lanka, live on Sky Sports.
But uncapped 17-year-old seamer Mahika Gaur is in England’s squad for those matches and showed what she might bring by bowling Superchargers opener Phoebe Litchfield with a beauty.
Superchargers skipper Hollie Armitage (46 off 43) underpinned her team’s total, with Alice Davidson-Richards (27) and Jemimah Rodrigues (19) the only other visiting batters to reach double figures as Gaur (2-21), Wellington (2-17), Bryce (2-19) and Fi Morris (1-16) impressed with the ball.
Georgia Wareham bagged 3-7 from 20 balls in vain for Superchargers
Originals laboured for much of the chase as Wellington’s fellow Australia leg-spinner Georgia Wareham claimed 3-7 from 20 balls but Wellington, Bryce and George took the hosts to a nervy victory, a result that dented Superchargers’ hopes of qualifying automatically for the final.
The team that finishes top of the table after the eight group games will earn immediate progression to the showpiece match at Lord’s on Sunday August 27 and avoid the eliminator a day earlier at The Kia Oval between the sides finishing second and third.
Brave are two points clear of Superchargers at the head of the standings with one fixture to go.
What’s next?
Monday 21st August 2:30pm
Monday 21st August 6:00pm
The Hundred continues on Monday with two games from The Kia Oval.
Oval Invincibles Women, whose hopes of a third straight tournament victory were ended by defeat to Southern Brave on Saturday, host Trent Rockets from 3pm with the men’s sides then in action from 6pm.
Both matches will be streamed for free on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App, while they will also be shown on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Mix.
Watch The Hundred live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.