SunRisers Leeds kept themselves in contention for The Hundred eliminator while dumping Welsh Fire out of the women’s competition in a one-sided contest at Headingley.
The victory sets up a virtual quarter-final with Manchester Super Giants, who sit in third two points ahead of SunRisers on 18, at Emirates Old Trafford on Tuesday afternoon.
With both sides coming off the back of two wins, SunRisers won the toss and surprised nobody by electing to bowl. A nervy start saw Cassidy McCarthy deliver four wides in five balls before Kate Cross got rid of Sarah Bryce lbw.
Freya Kemp then joined Georgia Voll and was fluent from the off in what turned out to be a standout innings.
The economical Deepti Sharma trapped Voll in front to leave the game nicely poised at 61-2 at the halfway mark.
Hannah Baker then broke the game wide open with two quick wickets, an excellent catch by Phoebe Litchfield dismissing her compatriot Georgia Wareham, followed by a peach to bowl Orla Prendergast, both for ducks.
Annabel Sutherland, who had earlier dropped Kemp, then immediately put her down again off Baker to give the Fire a lifeline.
But two more wickets in six balls saw Fire’s run-rate plummet as they aimed just to survive the 100 balls, Baker finishing with 2-15.
Kemp, however, had other ideas. She upped the ante with a six off Jess Jonassen and then blitzed her way to an unbeaten 72 off 45, but a total of 121-8 felt underpowered against the in-form Super Giants line-up.
And so it proved as the remarkable Litchfield continued where she left off against Birmingham Phoenix on Friday.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Annabel Sutherland dropped two catches that could have proved costly for Sunrisers Leeds
Shots all around the ground, including three sixes, saw her to a 23-ball 55 and when she went, the score was 92 off 52 and the game as good as done.
Bryony Smith had gone without scoring but Lauren Winfield-Hill reprised her support role from Friday and Sutherland was in imposing form, hitting an 18-ball 28.
It was left to skipper Dani Gibson and Jonassen to finish it off, winning with 26 balls to spare and enabling the SunRisers to live to fight another day.
Dean inspires Spirit past Phoenix
Charlie Dean took 3-17 as London Spirit sealed their second win of the season by beating Birmingham Phoenix by 32 runs at Lord’s.
Spirit captain Dean helped restrict Phoenix to 108-8 – Nadine de Klerk chipped in with 2-21 – as the visitors fell way short of their run chase after the home side had posted 140-4.
After Phoenix opener Jemima Spence fell to Marizanne Kapp with 10 on the board, Dean dismissed skipper Ellyse Perry and Davina Perrin as the visitors slipped to 47-3.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Katie George made an incredible catch during The Hundred match between London Spirit and Birmingham Phoenix.
When Dean had Tammy Beaumont caught behind, Phoenix were 79-6 off 77 deliveries and the writing was on the wall.
Spirit’s South African all-rounder Kapp had earlier clubbed six sixes and two fours in an unbeaten 28-ball 57 to lift the home side’s score after wicketkeeper Jones had made 39 off 30 deliveries.
With one game remaining, Spirit sit sixth in the table on 10 points, four above bottom side Phoenix, who have lost five of their seven matches.
Watch every match of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday August 16. Stream contract-free on NOW.
