Wareham and Sutherland help Northern Superchargers dominate their opening match against Welsh Fire
Australia’s women cricket stars have continued to shine at the start of English cricket’s latest edition of the Hundred, with allrounders Georgia Wareham and Annabel Sutherland the latest to really sparkle.
The international duo were in superb form with both bat, ball and in the field for the Australian-powered Northern Superchargers outfit on Thursday, helping the Leeds-based side crush the Welsh Fire by 47 runs at Headingley.
Following the brilliant knocks from Grace Harris and Meg Lanning which had kicked off this year’s 100-ball-a-side event at Lord’s, the well-rested Sutherland smiled: “I think you’ll find a lot of us Aussies are pretty keen to be over here playing some cricket.”
While Wareham took the player of the match ‘hero’ honours, Sutherland also certainly looked hungry in her first match in four months as, for openers, she cracked a glorious driven boundary before following up with two sixes in her 28 off 20 balls.
That was followed by Wareham providing a spectacular finish to the Superchargers innings, cracking 29 off 17 and ending the innings with a spectacular 74-metre six off a full-toss gift from her old Australia teammate Jess Jonassen, who proved particularly expensive, going for 33 off her 20 balls.
The only disappointment with the bat for the Yorkshire side’s Aussie contingent was when Phoebe Litchfield, who had started with a lovely cover-driven four off her first ball, soon departed off her third ball, caught at backward point.
Their eventual total of 4-141, though, which had been largely forged through the unbroken late stand of 52 between Wareham and top scorer Hollie Armitage (34no), was to prove comfortably enough once the Aussie allrounders got into action with the ball.
Wareham was also particularly sharp in the field to launch the Fire’s swift demise as she ran out Sophia Dunkley for just one.
The leg-spinner then tempted Jonassen to hit straight to Sutherland at mid-off for just one as the visitors crumbled to 4-51.
Sutherland (1-19 off 20 balls) continued the Welsh woe by flattening Sarah Bryce’s off-stump, before Wareham trapped Katie George lbw, finishing her 20-ball stint with the excellent figures of 2-14, including 11 dot balls.
To complete her brilliant day, the 26-year-old Victorian took a spectacular running-and-diving catch to get rid of the last batter Katie Levick as the Fire folded on 94 all out.
Australians in The Hundred 2025
Birmingham Phoenix: Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll
London Spirit: David Warner, Ashton Turner; Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Charli Knott
Manchester Originals: Beth Mooney
Northern Superchargers: Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham
Oval Invincibles: Jason Behrendorff; Amanda-Jade Wellington, Meg Lanning
Southern Brave: Hilton Cartwright
Trent Rockets: Marcus Stoinis; Ash Gardner, Alana King, Heather Graham
Welsh Fire: Steve Smith, Riley Meredith, Chris Green; Jess Jonassen
