SunRisers into Hundred women’s final with tense win over Brave

SunRisers Leeds booked a meeting with Trent Rockets in The Hundred women’s final after a tense five-wicket win over Southern Brave in the eliminator at The Kia Oval.

Set a modest 115 to win, SunRisers had looked in trouble at 54-3 after 47 balls – their dynamic Australian duo of Phoebe Litchfield (4) and Annabel Sutherland (17 off 12) both dismissed – and again at 95-5 after 78 when the impressive Issy Wong (3-21) took two wickets in two balls.

Wong, who had earlier claimed the key wicket of tournament leading run-scorer Litchfield, also bowled Lauren Winfield-Hill (37 off 37) and saw off SunRisers skipper Dani Gibson, lbw first ball.

But India’s Deepti Sharma kept a calm head, her unbeaten 28 off 22 ultimately seeing SunRisers over the line with 11 balls to spare and into Sunday’s final at Lord’s.

• Scorecard: SunRisers Leeds vs Southern Brave
• The Hundred men’s and women’s eliminators – as it happened
• Watch The Hundred and more sport contract-free on NOW

The result was in keeping with the form guide, with the tournament’s early pace-setters Brave losing a fourth straight match after starting with five wins from five.

SunRisers are defending champions – having won last year’s women’s competition under their previous name of Northern Superchargers – and have won five in a row going into the final against Rockets, who themselves have triumphed in their last six to clinch top spot in the women’s table.

Wong efforts in vain as Brave beaten in eliminator

Earlier, after SunRisers won the toss and elected to bowl first, Lizelle Lee got Brave’s innings off to a decent start with a 25-ball 32 that contained five boundaries and a glorious straight six off Kate Cross (1-12) – the only maximum of the match.

The turning point came when Winfield-Hill pulled off an impressive stumping of the South African for the opening breakthrough off the impressive Hannah Baker (2-13).

Baker also accounted for Charli Knott (25 off 21), bowled by the leg-spinner, while Sharma (1-24) went joint-top of the tournament’s wicket-taking charts and Sutherland (2-31) snagged a couple late on off consecutive deliveries.

Cross’ dismissal of Laura Wolvaardt (8) was the only Brave wicket, along with the run-out of Wong (4) off the last ball, not to fall to spin as Sophie Molineux’s side fell some way short of a par score, despite the Australian’s 22 not out.

Brave’s hugely impressive attack of international bowlers just about kept them in the hunt, Lauren Bell (1-14) conceding just two off her first 10, which included the early wicket of Bryony Smith (2), before Wong cleaned up Litchfield to make it 13-2 after 17 balls.

Sutherland hit a breezy 17 off 12 before perishing to Sarah Glenn (1-25), while Winfield-Hill appeared to be playing a match-winning knock before Wong took two in two to find herself on a hat-trick.

At that stage, SunRisers still required 20 from 22 balls but Sharma and Jess Jonassen (10no off 5) comfortably steered SunRisers to victory and into the women’s final.

‘SunRisers can’t afford those mistakes in final’

Analysis by Sky Sports Cricket’s Natalie Germanos:

“A little hiccup from SunRisers at the end – those are mistakes they can’t afford in a final, and certainly not against the Trent Rockets.

“They need to be careful in terms of reading the conditions.

“But otherwise, through the day, they didn’t get a lot wrong.”

Baker: I’ve never been so nervous in my life!

Meerkat Match Hero Hannah Baker, speaking to Sky Sports:

“I’ve never been so nervous in my entire life [as during the chase]! It’s great to get over the line.

“With our power that we’ve got, we were always confident that we could chase that. Luckily, we got a bit of spin today.

“I spoke to Jonassen when we were out there and she told me to just hit my length – that’s what I did.

“[Now we’ve just got to] relax, and get ready to go again.”

When is The Hundred final?

SunRisers Leeds will face Trent Rockets in the women’s final at Lord’s on Sunday August 16.

The women’s final is at 2.15pm, with the men’s final at 6pm, live on Sky Sports Cricket.

Watch the women’s and men’s finals in The Hundred live on Sky Sports. Watch The Hundred and more contract-free on NOW