Mooney's 99*, Bryce's hat-trick flatlines Superchargers
Mooney records second-highest score in the women's Hundred to prevent Superchargers going top
ECB Media
11-Aug-2024
Beth Mooney batted through the innings for 99 not out • Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Manchester Originals 151 for 3 (Mooney 99*, Smith 1-32) beaten Northern Superchargers 134 for 8 (Litchfield 45, Bryce 5-13) by 17 runs
Beth Mooney ended unbeaten on 99, the highest individual score in The Hundred this year, to lead Manchester Originals to 151 for 3 and a rare win over rivals Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.
The Australian left-hander was imperious and classy throughout, finding the gaps at will and demonstrating the kind of form that has earned her the title of No.1 batter in Women's T20I cricket.
She was to finish up stuck on 99, agonisingly short of the women's competition's second-ever hundred, when Sophie Ecclestone was run out seeking an improbable two from the final ball of the innings.
Fortunately for Mooney, despite missing out on a personal landmark, her fine innings was to come in a winning cause despite fellow Aussie Phoebe Litchfield causing a few butterflies with an impressive innings in riposte.
Litchfield made 45 from 29 but when she fell, bowled by a nicely executed slower ball by compatriot Kim Garth, the team in purple ran out of steam in pursuit of a big chase.
There was still time for Kathryn Bryce to claim a hat-trick, split over her final two sets, and to take 5-13 to give Originals a further personal landmark to celebrate on a day that came in vain for their hopes of progressing in the tournament.
Their victory did prevent Superchargers, their cross-Pennines rivals, from ascending to first place and sees the top of the table in the women's competition further congested going into the final week.
Meerkat Match Hero Mooney said: "It was a lot of fun. I thought Laura Wolvaardt and I set the game up nicely at the top and obviously Kathyrn Bryce finished it beautifully getting five-fer there. A pretty good day out for the Originals.
"A little bit [of regret at not reaching 100]. But if you'd told me this morning I would have scored that many runs I would have taken it, and got the team in a winning position as well, which is most important.
"I did the best I could and didn't quite get over the line for that milestone but for me it's about trying to get the team into a winning position and I thought 150 was probably about par.
"We saw some of the batters in the Superchargers took the game to the sword a bit and could have taken it away from us pretty quickly, but I thought we were really composed and bowled beautifully."