Reigning champions SunRisers Leeds snatched a spot in the women’s Hundred eliminator by beating Manchester Super Giants by 41 runs in a winner-takes-all game at Old Trafford.
In a shoot-out for the final place in the top three, Annabel Sutherland’s unbeaten 62 off 36 balls helped Leeds leapfrog their opponents and set up an eliminator clash against Southern Brave.
The Australian all-rounder hit nine boundaries, including three sixes, as the visitors posted 166-4 after being put in to bat.
Visiting spinner Jess Jonassen took 3-21, while Deepti Sharma and Sutherland claimed two wickets apiece, as Manchester were restricted to 125-8 in reply and exited the competition after slipping to fourth place in the standings.
Second-placed Leeds will continue their title defence against Southern Brave on Friday at The Oval, with table-topping Trent Rockets awaiting the winner in Sunday’s final at Lord’s.
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UNBELIEVABLE athletic fielding from SunRisers’ Phoebe Litchfield to prevent a six
Sutherland, the Match Hero, said: “It’s the beauty of being an all-rounder, you’re in the game all the time, and I love competing, especially in a match we were calling a final. We had to win and it was nice to do a job for the team.”
Phoebe Litchfield made her intentions clear after SunRisers were asked to bat, the Aussie opener racing to 27 from 12 deliveries to leapfrog Sophia Dunkley at the top of the competition’s run-scoring chart.
An electrifying innings was brought to a halt after Litchfield miscued a drag down from Mady Villiers but Bryony Smith (17 off 16) and Lauren Winfield-Hill (20 off 15) kept the scoreboard ticking.
Smith holed out to Villiers off Kathryn Bryce and Winfield-Hill was run out after a mix-up to leave the score 83-3 before Sutherland took charge, aided by a sparky cameo from Dani Gibson (24 off 13).
When Gibson fell to Villiers with 12 balls remaining, SunRisers were handily placed on 119-4, and Sutherland propelled the visitors to 166-4 – the highest score in the women’s competition at Emirates Old Trafford – carting the unfortunate Ryana MacDonald-Gay for three consecutive sixes to round off the innings.
The Super Giants made a strong start in reply before Jonassen claimed the key scalp of Smriti Mandhana for 28, yorking the Indian with a cleverly-flighted delivery.
Grave Scrivens struck six fours in her 24-ball 31 before being stumped by Winfield-Hill off the irrepressible Sutherland (2-17), and Richa Ghosh departed two deliveries later after holing out to give Jonassen her second.
Bryce retired out after making 15 from 14 and even the great Meg Lanning (10 off 15) could not find any momentum, bowled by Jonassen as the Super Giants laboured to 125-8.
After a slow start to the tournament, the SunRisers will take a four-match winning streak into Friday’s showdown at The Oval.
Watch every match of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday August 16. Stream contract-free on NOW.
