THE HUNDRED – WOMEN’S COMPETITION 2025
Northern Superchargers won the final with 12 balls to spare © Getty
Annabel Sutherland’s all-round show, Nicola Carey’s unbeaten 35 and Kate Cross’s early strikes all combined to give Northern Superchargers their maiden title at the Women’s Hundred 2025, bringing curtains on Southern Brave’s near-perfect run with a crushing seven-wicket win in the rain-affected final at the Lord’s.
Brave could muster only 115/6 after losing wickets in clusters, in which Sutherland prised out both the top-scorers and Cross lent the early blows – both finishing with identical figures of 2-23. The Australian later turned up with the bat to arrest a slide, putting on a match-winning partnership off 60 off 44 balls with compatriot Carey to seal a comfortable chase.
Opting to bowl first, Superchargers came back hard via the twin strikes of Cross after a brief attack from the Brave openers. Maia Bouchier slammed a four and a six in her quick cameo before Cross sent her packing, and then cleaned up Laura Wolvaardt first ball.
Wyatt-Hodge (25 of 20) joined hands with Sophie Devine (23 off 28) to rebuild briefly before Sutherland got on the board with the wicket of the English opener. Devine, albeit rusty, stitched the best partnership of the day for Brave with Freya Kemp, who chipped in a valuable 26 in 17 deliveries before becoming Sutherland’s second victim.
That second mini collapse of 3 for 4 runs pegged them back towards the end, and if not for Mady Villiers’ boundary-filled 17* in 11, Brave could have potentially ended in double-digits.
Fresh off the fastest century in the competition, Davina Perrin made a brisk start before falling for a 16-ball 17 as Devine drew early blood. At the other end, Villliers sent back Alice Davidson-Richards cheaply before rain halted the proceedings.
Superchargers were well in control at the rain break, needing 61 more at a shade under run-a-ball but Chloe Tryon produced a wicket in her very first set after the play resumed to end season MVP Phoebe Litchfield’s enterprising knock on 26 that came at a strike-rate of 200.
Reduced to 59/3 in 44 balls, Sutherland and Carey brought Superchargers’ chase back on the track with their 60-run stand. The duo got their eye in before Carey kicked off the acceleration with four boundaries in the space of eight deliveries she faced. Sutherland provided the finishing touches, winning it for the team with a maximum with 12 balls to spare.
Brief scores: Southern Brave 115/6 in 100 balls (Freya Kemp 26, Danni Wyatt-Hodge 25; Kate Cross 2-23, Annabel Sutherland 2-23) lost to Northern Superchargers 119/3 in 88 balls (Nicola Carey 35*, Annabel Sutherland 28*, Phoebe Litchfield 26) by 7 wickets
© Cricbuzz
