The Northern Superchargers, led by skipper Hollie Armitage, were up against the Trent Rockets, led by skipper Ashleigh Gardner, at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, in the 8th match of The Women’s Hundred 2025, which happened to be the 2nd game of the double header on August 10.
Trent Rockets suffered a tough 11-run defeat in their previous game against Birmingham Phoenix. The Northern Superchargers, on the other hand, got off to a flying start with a massive 47-run victory against Welsh Fire in their previous encounter.
In the afternoon clash, Southern Brave sealed a comfortable 15-run victory against Birmingham Phoenix to seal back-to-back victories in the ongoing 5th edition of the tournament.
Ashleigh Gardner leads from the front with an impressive half-century
The home skipper, Ashleigh Gardner’s decision seemed to backfire as her side was reduced to a horrific situation 5/3 after 18 balls. Skipper Ashleigh Gardner found herself in the middle alongside former skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt inside the powerplay. Two of the most experienced individuals on the side got the Rockets’ innings back on track with a much-needed 42-run partnership for the 4th wicket.
Just when the pair looked set to unleash another gear, the experienced Kate Cross got the big scalp of Nat Sciver-Brunt (15 off 15 balls) to provide the 4th breakthrough for the Superchargers. Heather Graham joined skipper Ashleigh Gardner at the crease, and the Australian duo stitched another vital 47-run partnership for the 5th wicket, as Ashleigh Gardner continued to take the attack to the opposition bowlers, en route to the partnership, which took them closer to the 100-run mark.
Skipper Ashleigh Gardner notched up her maiden half-century (61 off 32 balls) in the Women’s Hundred before Grace Ballinger got the better of the Trent Rockets skipper on the 74th ball of the innings to provide the much-needed 5th breakthrough for her side. Decent contributions from the lower middle-order, consisting of the likes of Heather Graham (15 off 23 balls), Emma Jones (12 off 10 balls), and Alana King (10 off 8 balls), gave Trent Rockets a respectable total of 128/8 in their quota of 100 deliveries.
Kate Cross (20-4-31-3) and Linsey Smith (20-10-19-1) were the stand-out performers with the ball for the Northern Superchargers, while Annabel Sutherland (20-5-24-1) and Grace Ballinger (20-9-25-1) played their part with the ball for their side.
Davina Perrin’s 72* guides Northern Superchargers to a dominant victory
Chasing a total of 129, the Superchargers’ openers, Alice Davidson-Richards and Davina Perrin, got their side off to a solid start with a 62-run opening partnership. Heather Graham broke the stand, by sending Alice Davidson-Richards (11 off 20 balls) back to the pavilion in the 46th ball of the run chase. The 18-year-old youngster Perrin anchored the run chase with fearless intent, finding the gaps with class and authority.
Breezy cameos from Australians Phoebe Litchfield (22 off 10 balls) and Annabel Sutherland (18* off 11 balls) eased the pressure off the youngster. The Superchargers eventually cruised through the target with 8 wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare, ensuring a massive net run-rate boost. Davina Perrin, the star of the show, stayed unbeaten on 72 (40 balls), notching up her maiden half-century in the Women’s Hundred to guide her side over the line.
Heather Graham (15-4-22-1) and Cassidy McCarthy (10-5-23-1) were the only wicket-takers with the ball for the Trent Rockets. Davina Perrin was awarded the Player of the Match for her impressive, enterprising half-century (72* off 40 balls) with the bat for her side.
