The Hundred 2024: Northern Superchargers stay alive in rain affected win over dismay London Spirit

Superchargers were 64 for 1 when the rain became too heavy for the umpires which condemned Spirit to their seventh loss of the season

ECB Media | 13/08/2024 at 21:40

Headingley: London Spirit 111-8, Northern Superchargers 64-1 - Superchargers Men won by 21 runs (DLS)

Northern Superchargers kept their season alive with a rain-affected victory over London Spirit in The Hundred at Headingley.

Adil Rashid was the stand-out performer for Harry Brook's side, taking 3 for 16 as part of a bowling performance that restricted Spirit to just 111 from their 100 balls.

The England leg-spinner has troubled batters throughout the competition, and today he removed Matt Critchley, Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell across 15 balls in the middle of the innings to knock the stuffing out of a Spirit batting effort that was already flattering to deceive.

Michael Pepper had already headed back to the pavilion – caught terrifically by Mitchell Santner – as had Keaton Jennings, who burned brightly for his 12-ball 30 and exited having words with Reece Topley, the bowler who dismissed him.

Liam Dawson has been Spirit's leading wicket-taker and leading run-scorer and once again he shouldered the burden of trying to keep Spirit in the game, his 27 from 19 alongside the veteran Ravi Bopara’s 31 took the visitors into triple figures but at the interval the smart money was on Superchargers.

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Mitchell Santner set the tone with a brilliant catch to remove Michael Pepper (ECB/Getty)

As it was, their chase was to be limited by the rain, but Superchargers openers Graham Clark and Matt Short had done enough to ensure they were ahead of Duckworth-Lewis Stern when the game was called off.

For Spirit, it was a seventh loss from eight games in a campaign they'll be glad is over.

Superchargers will now hope either Welsh Fire or Manchester Originals can do them a favour across the last two days of the competition's group stages as they seek to make the knock-out stages of The Hundred – notable progression from their last-placed finish in 2023.

Meerkat Match Hero Adil Rashid said: "We're fortunate we got the runs in time as well, because the rain came 10 balls after that.

"I think we've got a very good squad, good batters - match-winners all the way through. We've got a bit of a waiting game tomorrow and Thursday, but hopefully one of those two teams do lose and we're good. Today, I put in a nice performance, taking three wickets."

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