Beth Mooney's Unbeaten 99 Leads Manchester Originals to Victory Over Northern Superchargers

Beth Mooney's brilliant unbeaten 99 powered Manchester Originals to a 17-run victory over Northern Superchargers in the women's Hundred competition at Old Trafford.

Mooney, the Australian opener, delivered the second-highest individual score in the history of the competition, guiding her team to a total of 151-3. Despite the Superchargers' efforts, they fell short, finishing at 134-8.

Earlier in the day, the Originals had already been eliminated from playoff contention due to the outcome of the Invincibles-Spirit match. However, they found satisfaction in thwarting their local rivals' chances of moving to the top of the table.

After winning the toss, the Originals opted to bat, a decision that proved wise as Mooney and Laura Wolvaardt put together a 60-run partnership for the first wicket. Linsey Smith managed to dismiss Wolvaardt, but Mooney continued to accelerate, contributing 51 of the 67 runs in a stand with Kathryn Bryce.

The Originals decided to retire Bryce, who scored 13 from 21 balls, with 10 deliveries remaining, bringing in Sophie Ecclestone. However, Ecclestone was run out on the final ball of the innings while attempting a second run that would have secured Mooney's century.

In their chase, the Superchargers struggled early on, losing openers Davina Perrin and Hollie Armitage for minimal contributions. The Australian duo of Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland tried to stabilise the innings, adding 41 runs for the third wicket.

Kim Garth bowled Litchfield, and Eve Jones caught Sutherland off Bryce's bowling, leaving the Superchargers at 102-4. Georgia Wareham kept her team in the game by hitting three consecutive fours off Danielle Gregory.

However, Bryce returned for the final set of deliveries and, with the help of Mooney, completed a hat-trick. She dismissed Alice Davidson-Richards and had Kate Cross stumped before removing Wareham two balls later, ensuring the Superchargers fell well short of their target.

Although the Originals moved to six points with one game remaining, their hopes of making the playoffs were already dashed. The Superchargers, on the other hand, face London Spirit next, where a win would secure their place in the knockouts, but a loss would mean elimination from the tournament.

Mooney, who had already held the record for the second-highest score in the competition from her 97-run innings for London Spirit against Southern Brave in 2022, once again showcased her batting prowess. She struck a six and a four off consecutive balls from Linsey Smith to reach 98 with two deliveries remaining. Although she couldn't add to her score on the penultimate ball, she sent the final delivery towards Kate Cross at long-off, leading to Ecclestone's run out as she attempted a second run.

The match attracted a crowd of 11,672, setting a new attendance record for a women’s Hundred game at Old Trafford.