Northern Superchargers 164 for 3 (Wolvaardt 90*) beat Manchester Originals 160 for 3 (Dottin 68*, Lee 40) by seven wickets
Wolvaardt batted through the Superchargers’ innings and faced 49 balls, hitting 13 fours and two sixes as the Leeds-based side overhauled the visitors’ 160 for three to secure a victory that keeps their chances of making the knockout stages of the competition very much alive. By contrast, the Originals’ hopes of making further progress hang by the slimmest of threads.
Lamb soon followed for 14, although it took a brilliant catch running in from long-on by Alice Davidson-Richards off Heather Graham to remove her and that dismissal was in sharp contrast to the departure of Ami Campbell, who was run out for 7 when she was dozily strolling back into her crease and was beaten by Hollie Armitage’s sharp throw and Healy’s quick thinking.
The score was 86 off 38 balls when Campbell had to stroll back to the dugout but that was only a prelude to the astonishing hitting of Dottin. At the other end Ecclestone was not quite outshone – she whacked three successive fours off Jenny Gunn – but her unbeaten 24 was overshadowed by her partner’s remarkably clean hitting.
Undaunted by their stiff target, the Superchargers began very positively with Healy hitting six fours in an 18-ball 25 before she was caught at mid-off by Lea Tahuhu off Kate Cross. Lamb’s excellent throw then ran out Bess Heath for three but Superchargers’ skipper, Armitage regained the initiative with a 20-ball 24 before being bowled by Lamb.
Meanwhile Wolvaardt was coolness personified even when 75 runs were needed off 40 balls and 55 off 25. In company with Graham, she put on an unbroken 55 in 24 balls and the winning runs were scored off Dottin, whose day was spoiled when her last over contained a front-foot no-ball and thereby a free hit.