Lizelle lights up Leeds as Laura's masterclass goes in vain

Manchester Originals are officially out of the race for finals in the inaugural season of The Hundred, but that didn’t stop them from putting up a show for the Headingley crowd on Thursday (August 12) against Northern Superchargers. South African internationals Laura Wolvaardt and Lizelle Lee scored their maiden half-centuries of the competition and Originals captain Kate Cross went through formidable Superchargers line-up to bag three wickets for just 19 runs, helping her team win by eight wickets.



The Superchargers were rocked by the news of one member of the squad testing positive for COVID-19 and two other members of the squad were isolated as a precaution. They made two changes in their playing XI, with Sterre Kalis and Beth Langston coming in for Rachel Slater and Australian recruit Laura Kimmince. Manchester Originals won the toss and decided to bowl first as Alice Dyson made her debut, replacing Georgie Boyce.



The decision of bowling first looked on point as Cross bowled a beautiful inswinger to find an inside edge of her counterpart Lauren Winfield-Hill and wicketkeeper Threlkeld took a sharp catch. The tournament’s highest run-scorer was next to go, as Threlkeld’s sharp stumping work resulted in a big wicket of Jemimah Rodriges for just seven runs. Cross came back and removed Alice Davidson-Richards and Bess Heath in her second set of five. The Superchargers were in disarray at four for 16 after 25 balls, recording the lowest power play score of The Hundred.



They needed someone to bat sensibly to get them out of the precarious positions, and they found that partnership in South African recruit Wolvaardt. She formed a partnership of 38 runs with Kalis to take the home side beyond 50. The latter was then run-out at the keeper’s end, trying to take a single that was not on offer. Wolvaardt then found a reliable partner in Linsey Smith for the final phase of the innings.



Wolvaardt and Smith started their counterattack by hitting three boundaries in Cross’ final set of five, which included a clean shot down the ground by Smith. Wolvaardt brought up her maiden half-century off 44 balls and then hit three back-to-back fours and a final ball six off debutant Dyson to take Superchargers to five for 126 by the end of the innings. For Originals, Cross starred with her best figures of the competition as she took three wickets for 19 runs.



In reply, Manchester Originals recorded the highest power play score of The Hundred, as Lee powered the visitors to 50 runs off 25 balls. Lee was unstoppable during the early stages of the match as she hit Langston and Katie Levick for three back-back-back boundaries. Smith was successful in removing the other opener Emma Lamb immediately after the power play as Wolvaardt took a catch at deep mid-wicket, but Lee kept the chase going.



She brought up her maiden fifty of the competition off just 27 balls by hitting Elizabeth Russell over the covers and immediately followed it by a massive 79 metres six over long-on. Just as the Originals crossed the 100 run mark in their chase, Kales Moore was able to send Lizelle Lee back as Wolvaardt yet again took a great catch at deep mid-wicket. This relief of sending Lee back didn’t last for long as her fellow South African team-mate Mignon du Preez took charge of the chase to see the visitors home with 14 balls left.



Brief Score: Northern Superchargers 126/5 in 100 balls (Laura Wolvaardt 75*, Sterre Kalis 19; Kate Cross 3/19) lost to Manchester Originals (Lizelle Lee 68,  Mignon du Preez 24*; Kales Moore 1/20) by 8 wickets