Northern Superchargers go top in The Hundred Women’s with dominant win over Birmingham Phoenix

Northern Superchargers climbed to the top of The Hundred Women’s standings after a powerful all-round performance secured a decisive win over Birmingham Phoenix at a bright and lively Headingley.

Match Analysis

A third win in four matches for Hollie Armitage’s team was built around a miserly performance from their slow bowlers, Lucy Higham and Linsey Smith, who each picked up two wickets to stem the Phoenix’s flow.

Their intervention was perfectly timed, after the visitors had begun brightly. On 44-1 from 30 balls with Emma Lamb and Marie Kelly going well, the Phoenix lost five wickets in 20 deliveries, with captain Ellyse Perry’s farcical run out – Annabel Sutherland diverting a straight drive from Kelly onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end – summing up the Phoenix’s misfortune.

From 59-6, Em Arlott and Sterre Kalis rebuilt the innings impressively, putting on an unbeaten 57, the highest stand for the seventh wicket in the history of The Hundred’s women’s competition.

On a beautiful batting track, it nonetheless felt under par. The Superchargers openers, Davina Perrin and Alice Davidson-Richards, were both dropped early on – Perrin before she had scored when Hannah Baker palmed a pull shot over the rope for six – and their stand of 27 ensured that the home side were always ahead of the game.

The Australian superstar Phoebe Litchfield, having started this year’s tournament quietly, roared back into form with a stunning assault against Baker in particular, drilling the spinner for a trio of consecutive boundaries to settle any concerns in the home dugout. 

With her compatriot Sutherland at the other end, the pair cruised to the finish line with only one alarm when Litchfield, on 48, was dropped at deep extra-cover by Baker. Litchfield brought up her second half-century in the competition from just 25 balls, as the Superchargers’ overseas stars wrapped things up with a whopping 26 balls to spare.

Litchfield was named the Meerkat Match Hero: “That was good fun out there. Every time we play here at Headingley we know it’ll be a good pitch and you saw that even when Davina and ADR came out, and then especially Bellesey [Sutherland] at the end there.”

Litchfield was also full of praise for the Superchargers’ spinners, Smith and Higham. “They hit their lengths and kept the stumps in play and forced the Birmingham batters to try something else, and we backed them up in the field. Our two little spinners have done wonders for us for a few years now and they showed it again today. 

“We’ve had this group together for three years now, it hasn’t changed much, and the vibes are good. We had a pretty average game last time out, but we tried to park that and came out with a positive mindset.”

Match Summary

Northern Superchargers (Women) vs Birmingham Phoenix (Women) Match 14

Northern Superchargers (Women) 117/2 (74 balls)

Birmingham Phoenix (Women) 116/6 (100 balls)

Northern Superchargers (Women) won by 8 wickets

SCORECARD

Four to win. Phoebe Litchfield does THIS ??#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/7vgQIOwcVZ

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 15, 2025

Match Stats

Birmingham Phoenix (Women) Fall of wickets: 1-17 (Georgia Voll – 2.3 ov), 2-44 (Emma Lamb – 6.1 ov), 3-55 (Marie Kelly – 7.4 ov), 4-56 (Amy Jones – 8.3 ov), 5-57 (Ellyse Perry – 9.2 ov), 6-59 (Ailsa Lister – 10.1 ov)

Northern Superchargers (Women) Fall of Wickets: 1-27 (Davina Perrin – 3.4 ov), 2-59 (Alice Davidson-Richards – 9.1 ov)

Wagon Wheel

Playing XI

Northern Superchargers (Women)

Birmingham Phoenix (Women)

Match Details:

Date: 2025-08-15 15:00:00

Venue: Headingley, Leeds

Toss: Birmingham Phoenix (Women) elected to bat

Umpires: Jack Shantry (England), Rose Dovey (England), Jasmine Naeem (England TV)

Match Referee: Sarah Bartlett (England)

Watch The Hundred – Northern Superchargers (Women) vs Birmingham Phoenix (Women) on August 15. From live match streaming and scores to expert-written report.