Superchargers

Kate Cross takes two wickets in two balls for Northern Superchargers and her No Balls podcast co-host and best friend Alex Hartley is delighted as Maia Bouchier and Laura Wolvaardt are dismissed for in the women’s Hundred final.

FOLLOW LIVE: The Hundred final – Southern Brave v Northern Superchargers

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Northern Superchargers and Oval Invincibles are guaranteed a top-three finish after the Superchargers won the encounter between the two teams in the earlier match at Headingley.

Both teams have 20 points and only Trent Rockets, currently on 16 with two games to play, can match or overtake them.

After Harry Brook’s first half-century of this year’s Hundred and Zak Crawley’s rapid 49 helped Superchargers set a target of 199, Will Jacks’ 11-ball 25 gave the Invincibles a brisk start in their chase.

But Jacob Duffy halted his charge inside the powerplay before Tom Lawes struck twice, dismissing Tawanda Muyeye and the in-form Jordan Cox – who came into the match on the back of three consecutive half-centuries.

When Sam Curran edged Matthew Potts to wicketkeeper Michael Pepper, the Invincibles were reeling at 115-4.

But Donovan Ferreira gave them some hope by hitting three fours and three sixes from seven deliveries before falling for a 15-ball 41 – Duffy ending the chance of a dramatic comeback to set the Superchargers on their way to a crucial win.

Earlier, openers Crawley and Dawid Malan gave the hosts a flying start after being sent in to bat by Invincibles skipper Sam Billings.

Crawley set the tone, helping them race to 49 without loss by the end of the powerplay, before falling just one run short of a fifty.

Captain Brook consolidated the Superchargers’ innings with a 27-ball 56 that included five sixes and three fours, before David Miller added the finishing touches, launching Tom Curran for three consecutive sixes in the final set to take them to 198-4.

Two-time defending champions Invincibles will host London Spirit in their final game on Monday, while Superchargers take on Manchester Originals the following day, live on the BBC.

Northern Superchargers thrashed London Spirit by eight wickets, moving above their opponents into second in The Hundred table.

Spirit put in a dismal performance with the bat, struggling to 90-8 at Lord’s.

The Australian pair of Phoebe Litchfield, who hit an unbeaten 55, and Annabel Sutherland, who made 29 not out, put on an unbroken partnership of 76 to seal victory for the Superchargers with 34 balls to spare.

The home side floundered after choosing to bat, slipping to 9-2 in the powerplay with top-order batters Kira Chathli and Cordelia Griffith dismissed for a duck and one respectively.

Spirit can usually rely on the big-hitting Grace Harris to drag them out of trouble, but Nicola Carey had her caught at long-on for just seven, then saw Dani Gibson taken at point from her following delivery.

They continued to steadily lose wickets until Issy Wong and captain Charlie Dean offered a degree of stability, putting on a partnership of 31 for the seventh wicket, but it came from 33 deliveries, with the pair unable to significantly up the tempo.

Sutherland dismissed Dean caught behind in the final set of five deliveries, and had Glenn caught in the covers from the next ball, as Spirit limped to a sub-par total.

Superchargers’ top-order also wobbled, with Alice Davidson-Richards and Davina Perrin both dismissed by Bex Tyson for a golden duck and four respectively.

However, those early wickets brought star batters Phoebe Litchfield and Sutherland to the crease, and the Australian pair made light work of reaching their target.

Litchfield took more of the strike, hitting her second half-century in three matches, and it was the 22-year-old who hit Eva Gray for four to bring the match to an early conclusion.

The result sees Spirit slip to fourth in the standings, behind Superchargers and Manchester Originals on net run-rate.

Graham Clark hit the final ball for six to snatch a dramatic three-wicket victory for Northern Superchargers against Southern Brave in The Hundred.

Needing five for victory or four for a tie, Durham batter Clark heaved England international Tymal Mills over the boundary at mid-wicket.

In a see-sawing finale, Superchargers needed only 11 from the last 10 with five wickets left before Jofra Archer struck twice and conceded only one run from his final five balls.

Clark swept the second ball of the last set from Mills for four to leave five to get from three but when Mills followed with two dot balls the hosts still appeared favourites.

Mills opted for a slower ball again, however, and dropped to the ground when Clark clubbed it for six.

Clark, in contrast, roared in delight and finished 38 not out from 24 balls, having left the previous delivery believing it to be a wide outside off stump.

“That felt euphoric,” he told Sky sports.

“I thought I messed it up when I left the ball before, but it’s a good feeling to get over the line.”

Clark came in at number six when Superchargers and England white-ball captain Harry Brook was caught off Mills for 24. Dan Lawrence holed out for 10, while opener Zak Crawley was caught for 29.

Superchargers were helped by an injury to Chris Jordan, who left the field with an apparent groin injury with 49 needed from 35 balls and Mitchell Santner capitalised by hitting Michael Bracewell’s spin for a six and a four.

Santner, who took 2-24 in Brave’s 139-5 – with fellow New Zealander and debutant Jacob Duffy also taking 3-26 – became Archer’s first victim and Tom Lawes followed for a duck, but Clark proved to be Superchargers’ match-winner.

The victory is their second from three games in this year’s Hundred and ends the Brave’s winning start.

Zak Crawley’s unbeaten 67 runs off 38 balls, including four sixes, helps Northern Superchargers to an eight wicket victory over Welsh Fire in their opening match of the Men’s Hundred 2025 at Headingley.

MATCH REPORT: Men’s Hundred 2025: Northern Superchargers v Welsh Fire

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Smith adds stardust and the hope is that he can give his new teammates, now including Glamorgan’s Ben Kellaway, a little bit extra while also piling on the runs.

“He’s going to bring a huge amount to the team,” said captain and Somerset batter Tom Abell.

“His record speaks for itself, he’s a great guy and a world-class player who has done it in all formats at the very top level.

“His influence on the team will be huge. He has been the best player in the world for a good number of years and that will hopefully give everyone an extra little bit of confidence.

“Anyone wants Steve Smith in their team, don’t they? Luckily he will be playing for us.”

The Australian has passed 10,000 runs in Tests, 5,000 in ODIs and 1,000 in international T20s.

“Even Jonny Bairstow, who has played 100 Test matches, is asking what Steve Smith is like to play with,” said coach Mike Hussey.

“He will bring a lot to the team, and hopefully a lot of runs, experience and star power.”

Fire men missed out on the eliminator on net run rate in 2023 and won just two of six fixtures that beat the weather last year.

It took until the fifth fixture to get a success and Hussey does not want to be playing catch-up this August.

“All the teams are pretty strong so we are going to have to hit the ground running,” said the Australian.

“Hopefully we can play some really good cricket, get some confidence going early and then see how we go.

“I don’t know how far we can go, we are hoping to go all the way but obviously you need a lot to go your way.”