Litchfield Blitz Powers Superchargers to Victory Over Phoenix at Headingley

Northern Superchargers stormed to the top of the Women’s Hundred table with a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix, thanks to a sparkling half-century from Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield and a clinical display from their spin duo.

Chasing a modest target of 117, Litchfield lit up Headingley with a blistering unbeaten 59 from just 29 balls, reaching her half-century in only 25 deliveries. Her innings featured a flurry of boundaries, including three in a row off spinner Hannah Baker, as the Superchargers wrapped up the win with 26 balls to spare.

Litchfield, who had endured a quiet start to the tournament, found fluency at the right time. Alongside fellow overseas star Annabel Sutherland (21*), she guided her team home with a composed partnership after openers Davina Perrin (15) and Alice Davidson-Richards (19) laid a solid foundation with a 27-run stand. Both Perrin and Davidson-Richards were handed early reprieves, including a dropped catch by Baker that tipped a pull shot for six.

Earlier, Superchargers’ spinners Linsey Smith (2 for 18) and Lucy Higham (2 for 21) turned the screws on Phoenix after a promising start. Phoenix were well placed at 44 for 1 after 30 balls, with Emma Lamb and Marie Kelly looking set. But five wickets fell in the space of just 20 balls, derailing their innings.

Captain Ellyse Perry was run out in unfortunate fashion as a straight drive from Kelly deflected off Sutherland’s hand onto the stumps, catching the non-striker short of her ground — a moment emblematic of Phoenix’s misfortune.

From 59 for 6, Em Arlott (32*) and Sterre Kalis (24*) salvaged the innings with an unbeaten 57-run partnership — the highest ever seventh-wicket stand in the Women’s Hundred — but their efforts couldn’t elevate the total to a competitive level on a good batting surface.

Named the Meerkat Match Hero, Litchfield praised her teammates and the team’s strong cohesion:

“That was good fun out there. Every time we play here at Headingley we know it’ll be a good pitch. Davina and ADR got us off to a nice start and then Bellesey [Sutherland] was great at the end,” she said.
“Our two little spinners have done wonders for a few years now, and they showed it again today. We’ve had this group together for three years, and the vibes are good. We tried to park the last game and came out with a positive mindset.”

With three wins in four matches, the Superchargers look well-positioned as contenders for the knockout stages, while Birmingham Phoenix are left searching for answers after another disappointing outing.