A rare fielding error by Australian player Phoebe Litchfield proved costly for Leeds Sunrisers, as Manchester Super Giants secured a victory while chasing 143 runs in Yorkshire. The Super Giants, with Smriti Mandhana leading the charge, successfully reached 6-147 in response to Leeds’ 4-142, winning with four balls to spare. This win marks the second for the Super Giants, who have also had one match washed out.
The match saw a pivotal moment when Mandhana, batting on 30 off 21 balls, pulled a delivery from Jess Jonassen towards Litchfield at mid-wicket. Despite having to advance slightly, Litchfield dropped the catch, a lapse that ultimately allowed Mandhana to accelerate her scoring. Jonassen, who finished with 1-34 off 20 balls, had dismissed Mady Villiers two balls later, but the dropped catch had a significant impact on the game’s outcome.
Mandhana’s Dominant Performance
Following the dropped catch, Smriti Mandhana went on to score 58 runs off her next 28 balls, culminating in an unbeaten 88 runs off 50 balls. This performance was the highest individual score of the match. She sealed the victory by hitting her last two balls for six. Mandhana’s inclusion in the Manchester Super Giants for the Women’s Hundred edition has been a notable development in women’s cricket, with fans reacting to her move while she continues to be part of the RCB team in the Women’s Premier League.
Manchester Super Giants captain Meg Lanning was the only other player from her team to reach double figures, contributing 24 runs off 18 balls. Lanning herself was dropped when she was on six. Despite the win, Lanning acknowledged that the team has areas for improvement, stating that securing two wins without playing their best cricket is a positive sign for the team’s cohesion both on and off the field.
The Sunrisers, batting first, saw Jonassen run out early for seven runs. This unfortunate dismissal occurred when fellow Australian Maitlan Brown deflected Bryony Smith’s powerful drive onto the stumps while attempting a caught-and-bowled. Litchfield also had a second chance after being dropped at backward point when she was on one. She made 31 runs off 26 balls before being caught at long-on.
Key Contributions and Missed Opportunities
Annabel Sutherland was another significant contributor for the Sunrisers, scoring 35 runs off 23 balls before miscuing a shot to wide mid-off. She had previously hit Brown for 10 runs in the preceding three balls. Brown finished with figures of 1-27 off 20 balls. Lanning began her chase with a six and two fours but was well caught by Sutherland, who ran back to take the catch.
At one point, Leeds appeared to be in a strong position for victory when four wickets fell for 14 runs, including Brown being run out for a duck after facing just one ball due to a poor call by Mandhana. However, Mandhana recovered from this setback, delivering a match-winning performance that secured the win for the Super Giants. The Super Giants have now won two matches in the competition.
Source: aapnews.aap.com.au
