The Northern Superchargers emerged victorious in the northern derby of The Hundred, securing their second consecutive win, giving them two victories from their first four matches.
In front of a record crowd of 11,061 at Headingley, the Manchester Originals won the toss and opted to bowl first. England's fast bowler Lauren Filer stood out for the visitors, taking 2 for 16, including two maiden sets.
Hollie Armitage and Phoebe Litchfield built a solid partnership of 47 runs for the second wicket. Australian players Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland, who continued her fine form from The Kia Oval on Friday, were the top scorers for the Superchargers, with Litchfield hitting 43 off 25 balls and Sutherland scoring 44 off 26 balls, leading the hosts to a total of 138 for 4.
The Superchargers looked poised to surpass 150, but the Originals managed to contain their run rate towards the end of the innings.
In their reply, the Manchester Originals initially started well but quickly lost their openers, Laura Wolvaardt and Beth Mooney, within the first 30 balls.
Superchargers' seamer Kate Cross took the crucial wicket of Wolvaardt, who had been instrumental for the Originals in a similar chase of 136 at Utilita Bowl last week.
Following the dismissals of Wolvaardt and Mooney, the Originals struggled, losing wickets regularly due to the impressive bowling performance from the Superchargers. Five different bowlers took wickets, with England international Cross achieving the best figures of 4 for 20.
Annabel Sutherland was named the Meerkat Match Hero for the second consecutive game. Reflecting on the victory, she noted it was a complete team performance. Sutherland felt they did a commendable job with the bat, capitalising on a favourable wicket, and the bowlers executed their plans effectively.
Sutherland mentioned that while the wicket was good for batting, their bowlers made it seem more challenging than it was, showcasing the team's strength. At the halfway point, she thought their score might be slightly below par, but she was confident it was defendable given their usual strong bowling in the power play, which they executed well once again.