A rare fielding error by Australian player Phoebe Litchfield proved costly for Leeds Sunrisers, as Manchester Super Giants secured a victory in Yorkshire. The Super Giants successfully chased down a target of 143 runs, largely due to a pivotal performance by Smriti Mandhana, who capitalized on a dropped catch early in her innings.
The match saw Leeds Sunrisers setting a total of 4-142. In response, Manchester Super Giants were in a challenging position at 4-68 at the halfway mark of their innings. Australian bowler Jess Jonassen believed she had secured a crucial wicket when Mandhana, who had scored 30 off 21 balls, pulled a delivery towards Litchfield at mid-wicket. However, Litchfield advanced slightly and spilled the catch, giving Mandhana a reprieve.
Mandhana’s decisive innings
Despite Jonassen dismissing Mady Villiers two balls after the dropped catch, Mandhana went on to score 58 off her next 28 balls. Her performance was instrumental in guiding Manchester to a victory with four balls to spare. She concluded her innings with an unbeaten 88 off 50 balls, marking the highest individual score of the match. The Super Giants finished with 6-147.
Manchester Super Giants captain Meg Lanning, also from Australia, was the only other player for Manchester to reach double figures, contributing 24 off 18 balls. Interestingly, Lanning was also dropped earlier in her innings when she was on six runs. Following the win, Lanning expressed satisfaction with her team’s progress, noting that securing two wins despite not playing their best cricket was a positive sign. She also acknowledged the element of luck in cricket, stating, “You take them, you get some luck, on other days you are out to a blinder so it comes around.”
Sunrisers’ innings and other key moments
Earlier in the match, after being put in to bat, Leeds Sunrisers lost Jonassen early, who was run out for seven runs. This unfortunate dismissal occurred when fellow Australian Maitlan Brown deflected a powerful drive from Bryony Smith onto the stumps while attempting a caught-and-bowled. Phoebe Litchfield herself was dropped at backward point when she was on one run, but she did not fully capitalize on the second chance, scoring 31 off 26 balls before being caught at long-on.
Annabel Sutherland then took charge for the Sunrisers, making 35 off 23 balls before miscuing a shot to wide mid-off. She had previously hit Brown for 10 runs across three balls. During the chase, Lanning initiated her innings with a six and two fours but was well caught by Sutherland. The Sunrisers appeared to be in a strong position when four wickets fell for just 14 runs, including Brown being run out for a duck after facing only one ball due to a poor call by Mandhana.
However, Mandhana overcame this setback and delivered a match-winning performance. Her move to Manchester Super Giants for The Hundred competition has been a notable development in women’s cricket. Fans reacted strongly to the news of her joining the Super Giants, with many initially believing she had left her Women’s Premier League team, RCB, to join a different franchise. It was later clarified that she remains a part of RCB in the Women’s Premier League while also playing for Manchester Super Giants in The Hundred.
The participation of Indian female players in other T20 leagues is permitted, a rule that differs for male players who can only participate after retirement. Mandhana’s addition to the Manchester Super Giants roster was widely discussed online, with some referring to her as a “cheat code” for the team. The Super Giants have now secured two wins, with one match being washed out.
Source: aapnews.aap.com.au
Priya Nair
Sports Reporter
