SunRisers Leeds kept their faint hopes of progression from The Hundred group stage alive with a hard-fought five-wicket victory over London Spirit at Headingley.
Spirit made 136-7 after being put in to bat, but Australian duo Phoebe Litchfield (30 from 17) and Annabel Sutherland (37 not out from 21) led the SunRisers home with two balls to spare.
Spirit got off to a flying start with the bat, but SunRisers finally got their first wicket when Amy Jones hit Dani Gibson into the hands of Kate Cross at 68 for one.
London continued to accelerate but their momentum was halted when a rain shower caused a 30-minute delay and Grace Harris, who went past her half-century, also perished as they fell from 91 for one to 136 for seven at the halfway stage.
In reply, Phoebe Litchfield and Bryony Smith also enjoyed themselves at the top of the order and it looked like SunRisers would chase the score down at a canter.
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Katie George stops SunRisers Leeds from getting a boundary with a huge leap and throw back into play.
However, three wickets in six balls to dismiss Litchfield, Smith and Lauren Winfield-Hill pulled the Spirit back into the contest with the hosts still requiring 78 from 59.
SunRisers closed in on victory, but Gibson and Deepti Sharma fell to create some late drama.
However, a flurry of shots from Jess Jonassen and Sutherland took the hosts close to the finish line before the latter’s six gave them the win.
Meerkat Match Hero Sutherland said: “It’s nice to get the win. Jess came out with real clarity, and she’s got a beautiful swing of the bat. It was nice to see a few go to the rope from her.
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Whilst Eoin Morgan and Nasser Hussain roll back the years, a crew member makes a brilliant catch from Eoin Morgan’s batting!
“Personally, I just feel pretty level. I feel like I’m coming into different situations and adapting pretty well. But ultimately, you want to be part of winning performances, and hopefully we can win the next few and build some momentum.”
The result moves SunRisers up to fourth in the table, but they trail third placed Manchester Super Giants by six points having played the same number of games.
Spirit drop to sixth and their hopes of advancing to the knockout stages appear to be all but over.
What’s next in The Hundred?
The Hundred continues with a double-header on Wednesday. Manchester Super Giants host Welsh Fire at Emirates Old Trafford, with the women’s fixture starting at 11.30am and the men’s contest following at 3pm.
Then at Trent Bridge, Trent Rockets host Birmingham Phoenix, with the women’s match getting under way at 3pm ahead of the men’s game at 6.30pm.
Watch every match of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday, August 16. Watch The Hundred and more contract-free on NOW
