Litchfield seals Superchargers' win
Superchargers' prospects of qualifying increase substantially after inflicting Spirit's second defeat of the season
ECB Media
20-Aug-2025 • 9 hrs ago
Phoebe Litchfield's half-century led the Superchargers charge • ECB via Getty Images
Northern Superchargers 93 for 2 (Litchfield 55*, Sutherland 29*) beat London Spirit 90 for 8 (Redmayne 29, Sutherland 3-20) by eight wickets
Northern Superchargers earned a crucial win at Lord's to leapfrog hosts London Spirit and take themselves to second in the table in the Hundred women's competition.
It wasn't quite a must-win game for Hollie Armitage's side but, having lost to Manchester Originals last time out, their prospects of qualifying have increased substantially after inflicting upon Spirit their second defeat of the season.
Superchargers started well with the ball, with both Grace Ballinger and Kate Cross bowling their first 10 deliveries through to take a wicket apiece. When Nicola Carey dismissed Grace Harris and Dani Gibson in consecutive balls, all the wind was taken out of Spirit's sails and they never threatened to post an overly imposing total.
As it was the team in purple made light work of the chase, knocking it off two wickets down with 34 balls to spare.
Spirit will want to prove that they're not reliant on Grace Harris's runs for success, while for Superchargers they'll be heartened by the up-turn in form of Phoebe Litchfield - awarded Meerkat Match Hero here for her 38-ball 55 with her customary array of switch-hits dotted throughout.
On a day that Southern Brave secured their qualification with their sixth successive win, the fight for the next two qualification spots - and a place in at least the Eliminator - looks set to go down to the wire between today's two combatants and Manchester Originals (all tied on 16 points), who take on Trent Rockets tomorrow.
Litchfield said: "I think losing to Manchester Originals stung for our group. I think we got ourselves in a winning position and it was heartbreaking to not come over the other side. We made a conscious effort to rectify that situation and come out here and win.
"We weren't far off in that last game. We were in a winning position. We've just got be ruthless in that moment, and I think we did that today with the ball. The way the girls set it up with the ball, pretty much won us the game in that first innings and then made it really easy for us batters to go out and play with freedom.
"The switch hits are fully premeditated, and then I just have to adjust on the length and the line when I switch, but also I have to know how to bail out. So that's probably the most important thing that I learnt is to bail out, but then if it's in the area, swing."