The Manchester Super Giants upset Sunrisers Leeds with four balls remaining in a historic derby at Headingley thanks to a brilliant knock by Indian megastar Smriti Mandhana.
Smriti Mandhana made her first fifty of the Hundred this year, her highest score at the tournament, and her 59th overall in her short-format career in a star-studded encounter that included three Indians and five Australian international stars.
When she was on 30, Phoebe Litchfield dropped her, and at a pivotal point when Darcey Carter needed 16 from 10, the ball burst through her hands to run away for four. She was magnificent despite those anomalies. She was cautious at first while marshalling the run chase and reached her half-century from 33 balls as Sunrisers attempted to turn the tide.
Smriti Mandhana dominated the last quarter and guided her team home with four balls remaining after losing four wickets for ten runs.
Her match-winning 88 came from 50 balls, and she brought up the victory with back-to-back sixes that were elegantly lifted over Annabel Sutherland’s head to make it four maximums overall.
With cameos from their Australian combination of Sutherland and Litchfield and a flurry from captain Dani Gibson at the end, Sunrisers battled to set a difficult score earlier in the game.
Kathryn Bryce, the Super Giants’ best bowler, removed Litchfield for 31 by creating a fake shot. It was fitting that Bryce and Mandhana were present at the end to secure a historic win that puts the Manchester team second behind Southern Brave with 10 points from three games.
“It feels great to win the match,” stated Smriti Mandhana, the Meerkat Match Hero. I was able to complete the task despite being a touch fortunate with the missed opportunity.
We talked about how the wicket had some hold in it, that it wasn’t a traditional Headingley pitch, and that I didn’t start as well as I would have liked to, but we came to a good conclusion. You will have good days and terrible days in franchise cricket since turnover happens quickly, but winning games like these puts you in a fantastic position.
