The Hundred: Welsh Fire, Northern Superchargers, Manchester Originals and Southern Brave looking to make finals
Watch Hundred eliminators from Kia Oval live on Sky Sports on Saturday (women's game at 2.30pm, men's at 6pm); Welsh Fire face Northern Superchargers in women's match before Manchester Originals take on Southern Brave in the men's; Hundred finals take place at Lord's on Sunday
Friday 25 August 2023 14:05, UK
Southern Brave Women and Oval Invincibles Men have secured their place in the respective Hundred finals on Sunday. On Saturday, they will learn the identity of their opponents.
Welsh Fire take on Northern Superchargers in the women's eliminator at The Kia Oval (2.30pm) before Manchester Originals meet Southern Brave in the men's (6pm).
We look at how the teams have fared so far this season…
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Women's Eliminator - Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire (2.30pm, Saturday)
Result in the group stage: Northern Superchargers beat Welsh Fire by 16 runs
Northern Superchargers:
Where did they finish in table? Second on 12 points (six wins, two defeats)
Leading run-scorer: Phoebe Litchfield (266)
Highest individual score: Marie Kelly (69no off 46 balls, vs Welsh Fire)
Leading wicket-takers: Georgia Wareham (11), Alice Davidson-Richards (10)
Best bowling figures: Georgia Wareham (3-7 from 20 balls, vs Manchester Originals)
After finishing fifth and sixth across the opening two seasons of The Hundred, Superchargers came second this term, two points behind table toppers Southern Brave. Hollie Armitage's side won five of their final six group games, ending their league campaign with victory over Fire as Marie Kelly hit an unbeaten 69 before Kate Cross, Grace Ballinger and Alice Davidson-Richards shared six wickets.
Australian youngster Phoebe Litchfield, 20, struck 40 from 26 balls against Fire, taking her tally of runs to a tournament-leading 266, with the opener contributing in all but two of her eight innings. A duck against Brave and a score of one against Manchester Originals her only blemishes. Compatriot Georgia Wareham, meanwhile, has bagged 11 wickets with her leg-spin, a haul only Brave's Georgia Adams, with 16, has eclipsed.
Another overseas player, India's Jemiah Rodrigues, has not lit up the tournament as of yet and new England call-up, wicketkeeper-batter Bess Heath, has bagged back-to-back ducks but there have been contributions from Armitage and Kelly with the bat, while Davidson-Richards, Cross, Linsey Smith and Lucy Higham have supported Wareham with the ball.
Welsh Fire:
Where did they finish in table? Third on 11 points (five wins, two defeats, one no result)
Leading run-scorer: Tammy Beaumont (253)
Highest individual score: Tammy Beaumont (118 off 61 balls, vs Trent Rockets)
Leading wicket-taker: Shabnim Ismail (11)
Best bowling figures: Shabnim Ismail (3-12 from 20 balls, vs Oval Invincibles)
The 2023 season has seen a dramatic upturn in fortunes for Fire after they finished bottom of the standings across the first two campaigns. Inspired by the batting of England duo Tammy Beaumont and Sophia Dunkley and pace of the searing former South Africa seamer Shabnim Ismail, the Cardiff-based side have won more games this term (five) than they did in 2021 and 2022 combined (three).
Beaumont tops the Fire run-scoring charts with 253 in seven innings, 118 of which came in one knock against Trent Rockets as she amassed the highest total in the history of the competition. Dunkley, meanwhile, has chipped in with 224 runs, reaching at least 24 and scoring two half-centuries since being picked up in the inaugural women's draft earlier this year. Dunkley and Beaumont are some opening combination.
With the ball, Ismail has bagged two three-wicket hauls, including a hat-trick from the last three deliveries of the game against Birmingham Phoenix to secure a thrilling three-run win. Phoenix needed four from three only for Ismail to knock over Tess Flintoff, Erin Burns and Issy Wong.
Men's Eliminator - Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave (6pm, Saturday)
Result in the group stage: Southern Brave beat Manchester Originals by six wickets
Manchester Originals:
Where did they finish in table? Second on nine points (four wins, three defeats, one no result)
Leading run-scorer: Jos Buttler (298)
Highest individual score: Phil Salt (86 off 32 balls, vs Trent Rockets)
Leading wicket-takers: Josh Tongue, Josh Little, Tom Hartley (7)
Best bowling figures: Calvin Harrison (5-11 from 20 balls, vs Northern Superchargers)
Originals are aiming to reach successive Hundred finals, having lost to Trent Rockets in last year's men's showpiece. Skipper Jos Buttler has been crucial, with his 298 runs a tournament high, 30 more than nearest challenger Harry Brook of Northern Superchargers.
Buttler is not the only devastating batter in the Originals side, though, with opening partner Phil Salt cracking 86 from 32 balls against Rockets and all-rounder Jamie Overton slamming 83 from 30 against Superchargers. Buttler's best was a 75-ball 47 in the other fixture against Superchargers.
Originals have gone through a few bowlers due to international call-ups with Ireland's Josh Little, who will be back for the eliminator after returning from Ireland duty, fellow seamer Josh Tongue and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley bagging seven but the performance of the competition with the ball came from Calvin Harrison against Superchargers - the leg-spinner marking his first appearance with record figures of 5-11.
Southern Brave:
Where did they finish in table? Third on nine points (four wins, three defeats, one no result)
Leading run-scorer: Finn Allen (171)
Highest individual score: Chis Jordan (70no off 32 balls, vs Welsh Fire)
Leading wicket-taker: Tymal Mills (15)
Best bowling figures: Tymal Mills (4-13 from 20 balls, vs Welsh Fire)
Brave, the inaugural men's champions in 2021, finished below Originals on net run-rate but beat them in their final group game on Wednesday as the leading wicket-taker in the competition, Tymal Mills, struck three times and New Zealand opener Devon Conway hit an unbeaten 54.
Brave are reliant on Conway, compatriot Finn Allen and skipper James Vince with the bat, although Chris Jordan proved his ability with the blade when he smoked seven sixes in a 32-ball 70 against Fire. With the ball, meanwhile, the South Coasters possess arguably the most well-rounded attack in the tournament.
Mills' pace and slower balls, Jordan's ability at the death, Craig Overton with the new ball, the left-am option of George Garton and the leg-spin of Rehan Ahmed. Each have played their part this summer, but Mills has been the main man with his 15 scalps including a hat-trick against Fire.
Watch The Hundred eliminators live on Sky Sports Cricket on Saturday and then the finals on Sunday. Stream the best sport with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months. Cancel anytime.
