Northern Superchargers secured their second consecutive victory over Manchester Originals in the northern derby at Headingley on Sunday, winning by 14 runs. This win followed a successful outing earlier in the day for Hollie Armitage’s team.
The Originals won the toss and opted to bowl, a decision that seemed favourable given the rain and overcast conditions before the match. Superchargers started slowly with the bat, and Fazalhaq Farooqi claimed a wicket with the very first ball of the game.
Graham Clark and captain Harry Brook steadied the innings with a solid 50-run partnership. Brook delivered a dynamic 58 off 33 balls before being caught by Scott Currie at mid-off. Despite a strong middle phase, the Originals fought back at the end, limiting the Superchargers to 167 for 5.
Mitchell Santner played a crucial role, taking 2 for 23 and claiming two wickets in consecutive deliveries.
For the Originals, Phil Salt and Matty Hurst provided a promising start with a 90-run opening partnership. Salt made 40 off 27 balls, while Hurst top-scored with 78 from 45. However, the Originals faltered from 90 for 1 to 128 for 4, undone by key run-outs and Santner’s impactful bowling. Despite needing 29 runs from the final 13 balls, the Originals fell short, remaining at the bottom of the table, while the Superchargers climbed to third place.
Match hero Brook remarked, "I felt they were the favourites coming out of the power play, but we bowled exceptionally well in the death overs to secure the win. We didn’t quite get the batting power play we wanted, but I focused on finding gaps rather than hitting the ball in the air. It worked out well, and I was able to apply pressure at the end."
He added, "We always aim to take wickets, but when we didn’t get one in the power play, and they were 90 without loss, we had to reassess. I entrusted Adil Rashid and Mitch Santner with key overs, and they delivered crucial wickets that helped us win."