Wayne Parnell took 4-16 to help the Northern Superchargers end their Hundred campaign with victory over Southern Brave; watch the Hundred men's and women's Eliminators live on Sky Sports on Friday September 2.
Wednesday 31 August 2022 19:38, UK
Southern Brave's disappointing Hundred title defence ended with a whimper as they failed to chase 136 in a dead-rubber 16-run defeat against Northern Superchargers at Headingley.
Both teams, out of finals contention before a ball was bowled, should have performed better with the bat on a pitch which was tired but not disastrously so.
Harry Brook top-scored with 29 for the Superchargers, who were inserted by the reigning champions and made 135-8, while fledgling leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and seamer James Fuller each finished with 2-20.
In reply, Brave slumped to 34-4 in 26 balls and failed to recover. In posting 119 for nine, they suffered a fifth defeat in eight.
Ahmed continued his impressive day with 33, but South African left-arm quick Wayne Parnell's outstanding 4-16 ensured the Superchargers finished with a fourth win added to as many defeats.
After a breezy start, the Superchargers were checked by the varied spin of leg-spinner Ahmed, off-spinner Paul Stirling and left-armer Jake Lintott. The latter two struck once apiece. Three of their top four all reached 20 and failed to go on.
After the early departure of captain Faf du Plessis to Ahmed, caught by mid-on running around towards mid-off, his opening partner Adam Lyth made 20, David Willey reached 22 and Brook with his aforementioned 29 before all holed out to catches in the deep as the score fell to 91 for four after 67 balls.
Seamer Sonny Baker had Lyth caught at deep midwicket off a top-edge and Brook taken in the same position pulling before Ahmed struck again when Adam Hose found long-on.
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Michael Pepper, David Wiese and Parnell all made it into double figures and threatened late acceleration, though Brave were as clinical with the ball and in the field as they were so often last year.
Seamer Fuller removed Wiese and Adil Rashid in the penultimate set of five - again to catches in the deep.
After being polished with the ball and in the field, the Brave were all over the place with the bat in the early stages of their reply, losing some serious firepower in the first 26 balls.
Quinton de Kock was run out trying to take a risky single to short fine-leg before Parnell's left-arm seam accounted for Stirling and Alex Davies.
Left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson then bowled captain James Vince to leave it 34-4, before Ahmed and Ross Whiteley steadied with a partnership of 27.
However, when the latter miscued Rashid's leg-spin to long-on, leaving the score at 61-5 after 49 balls, it felt a decisive juncture. And so it proved. Tim David drilled Wiese to long-off shortly afterwards.
Ahmed shared 28 in 26 balls with Fuller, both hitting strong shots down the ground, only for the former to miscue Parnell to long-on to leave the score at 104-7 after 83 balls with 32 runs still required.
That target became 26 off 10, and it was all but game over when Parnell yorked Fuller for 25 to leave 22 still needed off six. Willey closed things out by bowling Baker, celebrating with a forward roll.
Wayne Parnell, Northern Superchargers: "It was obviously really special to finish off with a victory and the crowd has been unbelievable this whole campaign, it was just nice to send them off with a win.
"We said (at the break) we were probably 20/30 under par but obviously a really good bowling line up and it was about backing ourselves really.
"It was just about trying to keep it simple and sticking to certain plans.
"I've really enjoyed it (in The Hundred), watching it back home last year was really special and I thought 'I'd like to be part of that' so thanks to the Superchargers for giving me the opportunity and it's just nice to be with these guys."
Watch women's and men's Eliminators from the Ageas Bowl live on Sky Sports from 3pm and 6.30pm, respectively, on Friday September 2.
The Finals will then be played at Lord's on Saturday September 3rd from 3pm and 6.30pm again.
Watch every match from The Hundred this summer live on Sky Sports.
Tickets for The Hundred are selling fast! If you want to be part of the action, go to thehundred.com/tickets
