The Hundred: Manchester Originals claim first win after ending Southern Brave's 100 per cent record
Manchester Originals beat Southern Brave on DLS to claim their first win in The Hundred and shatter Brave's 100 per cent record; spinners Hannah Jones and Alex Hartley share six wickets for Originals before Lizelle Lee and Emma Lamb lead run chase
Thursday 5 August 2021 21:49, UK
Manchester Originals secured their first victory in The Hundred, snapping Southern Brave's 100 per cent record in the process, as bottom beat top at Emirates Old Trafford…
STORY OF THE MATCH
Brave were eyeing a fifth win on the trot in The Hundred but were sunk by previously winless Originals as spinners Alex Hartley and Hannah Jones and batter Lizelle Lee fired in a rain-shortened game in Manchester.
Hartley (3-29) and Jones (3-17) picked up three wickets apiece as Brave stuttered to 123 from their 100 balls having been given a quick-fire start by openers Danni Wyatt (24 off 20 balls) and Smriti Mandana (19 off 12), who plundered six boundaries combined inside the first 15 balls.
An Originals side missing key batter Harmanpreet Kaur due to a niggle then reached 97 from 70 balls before rain stopped play - Lee smoking 43 off 32 and opening partner Emma Lamb 32 off 23.
However, as Originals were ahead on DLS, they finally got up and running with a victory after three defeats and a washout to kick off the campaign - Kate Cross' side subsequently moving off the bottom and above Birmingham Phoenix.
For Brave, it was a first setback, down largely to their batting at the backend as well as some sloppy fielding, with a number of run-out opportunities going begging.
KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES!
Sorry for the pun but Jones was in the thick of the action on her first appearance in the tournament, having come into the Originals side for seamer Laura Jackson.
The left-arm spinner removed Mandhana and Wyatt as they looked to clear the off-side infield and then kept cool to catch Sophia Dunkley (28 off 25) as the batter top-edged a sweep off Hartley.
Dunkley's dismissal was crucial with her and Stafanie Taylor (28 off 27) having the capacity to accelerate later on. Brave did not accelerate later on and lost a clatter of wickets towards the death.
Hartley - who came into this game wicketless in the tournament - snared two in two balls. Something for her to chat about on her No Balls podcast with team-mate Kate Cross!
LEE, LAMB RETURN TO FORM
Lee began The Hundred with 42 against Oval Invincibles but then registered scores of seven and eight.
Fellow opener Lamb had fared even worse with totals of nought, four and four. However, both impressed on Thursday.
A scoop for four off Brave seamer Lauren Bell was one of the five boundaries Lamb struck before being run out by Anya Shrubsole, while Lee managed four fours and a six in an innings of power and placement.
WHAT THEY SAID
Manchester Originals captain, Kate Cross: "I just loved the way we went about our cricket. That was what pleased me the most. When you're losing, it would be easy to go into your shell even more.
"We had a chat on Monday and said, 'We've got nothing to lose now. Let's not worry about failing because the more you worry about that, the more likely you are to fail'. We just took the shackles off.
"We've kind of joked about it, but we are just aiming to start again. We saw this as our first game. Hopefully we can get on a roll and win a couple of games. It's not how you start, it's how you finish."
Southern Brave captain, Anya Shrubsole: "We just weren't quite with it with bat, ball and in the field. We've just said in the dressing room that we're still in a really good position. The worst thing you can do after one defeat is panic."
KNOW YOUR FIELDING POSITIONS?
Well, you definitely will do if you watch Nasser Hussain's whistle-stop tour around the Emirates Old Trafford outfield as he explains slip, gully, extra-cover, deep midwicket and a whole lot more!
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Hundred Live
The Hundred Live
It's off to Cardiff on Friday as Welsh Fire take on Trent Rockets in both the women's and men's competitions.
The women kick things off from 3pm on Sky Sports Mix and the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel, with the men then in action from 6.45pm on Sky Sports The Hundred and Sky Sports Mix.
Watch The Hundred live on Sky Sports between now and August 21.
