The Timeline: Birmingham Phoenix Women v Northern Superchargers Women

SHIVAM PATHAK looks at the best of the action at Headingley as the visiting Birmingham Phoenix defended a solid total in what was a must-win fixture

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Scorecard

Birmingham Phoenix will know that their superior Net Run Rate should see them through to the Eliminator after a strong all-round performance at Headingley, putting the Superchargers out of contention.

Having lost the toss and being put in to bat first, the Phoenix had Evelyn Jones to thank with the bat as she recorded a half-century.

With the ball, the Superchargers seemed that they were in control; a partnership between Lauren Winfield-Hill and Laura Wolvaardt pushing the WinViz firmly in their favour - but a couple of quick wickets saw their scoring rate massively drop off, as they finished some 14 runs shy of their target.

Here's how it happened...

Ball 1: Four to start us off! Shafali Verma gets the edge when swinging out, looking to hit Kalea Moore over covers, but it takes the inside and rolls through third man. 4-0

Ball 2: And another! This is an excellent stroke. Moore goes much fuller this time, but a touch wide, and Verma steps into the pitch and fires through midwicket. 8-0

Ball 3: But gone now! Moore changes the length and gets the reward. Shorter this time, Verma looks to step back and clatter over midwicket, but it's not middled and it goes short, where Davidson-Richards catches on the dive. 8-1

Balls 6-10: How about this? Four fours in the set from Amy Jones!  An excellent start to this innings. Beth Langston is the unfortunate bowler who is punished here. The first two are the most aesthetically pleasing, as she initially flicks through midwicket, then driving through the leg-side. There's a lucky inside edge on ball 8, and a nice flick through fine leg to wrap up the over. Expensive. 28-1

Ball 15: Swings to mid-on, caught! You can’t catch your breath in these opening few sets. It's a full toss from Linsey Smith, and I'm not sure whether or not she intended it - but she or her team won't care as it gets low, and Amy Jones fires to the ring where Laura Wolvaardt is in prime position to grab. 33-2

Ball 29: Great stroke by Eve Jones. 50 up for the Phoenix. It's a wider one from Kalea Moore, shorter this time, and Jones waits before opening up the face - zipping through covers for four. 50-2

Ball 54 That's six! Our first of the day. Elizabeth Russell goes a touch shorter this team, and Jones is happy to lean back and clatter it right back over the bowler's head. 81-2

Ball 59: Big appeal for leg before - given! There’s a breakthrough for Northern Superchargers, because this partnership was really starting to warm up nicely. Katie Levick strikes, as she tosses full on middle - and Katie Mack looks to sweep. She is beaten, takes the pad beneath the knee roll, and the finger goes up. No review, and it did indeed look plumb. 90-3

Ball 67: Clever boundary from Eve Jones! Tossed full on middle, Jones waits, shuffles across and scoops it back over fine leg for four. 104-3

Ball 84: Smashed into the dugout for six! Armitage, the spinner, goes a little bit shorter this time, and Eve Jones saunters out of her crease and smacks it over long-on, into the Phoenix bench! 123-3 

Ball 90: Great keeping from Winfield-Hill! It's an awkward one for Eve Jones who is beaten under the legs by Langston, turning instantly to the keeper's right who instinctively dives, stopping it with one hand to save a certain boundary. 129-3tw

Ball 92: Six more! Eve Jones again. Katie Levick puts it right into the proverbial slot, shifting over to the leg side, and Jones cracks it right over long-on. 136-6

Ball 95: Smacked up to long-off, taken! Laura Wolvaardt hardly had to move. Going for a similar shot, she comes out of her crease and fires over to the same point in the field, but there is the South African who doesn't have to move, waiting patiently and letting it drop right into her grasp. 138-4

It's been a solid batting performance and 147 is an excellent total. Looks certainly defendable, but don't write off Lauren Winfield-Hill and co. on what looks like a flat batting wicket...

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Ball 3: Winfield-Hill is off the mark! Isy Wong bangs it in on middle, and the opener is primed to lean into the shot, firing through mid-off and it clatters into the rope with the bounce for four. 4-0

Ball 7: Four more! Emily Arlott dropped this one just a touch too short, allowing Winfield-Hill to take half a step back before pulling it nicely into square. 10-0

Ball 13: Wonderful drive through mid-off. Winfield-Hill is going for it. Emily Arlott goes wider this time, but she steps forward and fires down the track, beating the bowler's drive, beating the fielder at the ring. 25-0

Ball 18: In the air... gone! The dangerous Jemimah Rodrigues has to walk! A crucial wicket. Erin Burns tosses it up on middle, round the wicket, and it's a great length for the batter - and she very uncharacteristically misses out, sweeping all the way over to deep midwicket where no mistake is made. 30-1

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Ball 28: Shot! Wolvaardt with a lovely cover drive. Abtaha Maqsood leg breaks up full, and the South African international leans back before piercing the fielders with perfect pace and direction. Possibly shot of the day - but that may just be my bias for cover drives. 43-1

Ball 30: Full toss, dispatched for four!  Maqsood grimaces, as she instantly knew that length was primed to be whacked away - full toss, right on middle. Laura Wolvaardt makes no mistake and cracks it between long-on and midwicket. 47-1

Ball 40: Waits late and takes four! Wolvaardt mixing it up really well here. Tossed up on off, she doesn't take the bait to drive, risking a silly dismissal, delaying before pushing it behind third man. 65-1

Ball 48: Four more for Winfield-Hill, and that's her fifty! Brilliant batting. Emily Arlott goes shorter, on fourth stump, and Winfield-Hill is able to come out and clobber over covers. Her bat goes up, just 29 balls, and she's led her side to a winning position. 78-1

Ball 57: Big chance, down! Might that be the game? Burns angles it in on middle, offering the sweep - Winfield-Hill obliges and she fires over to deep square, where Gwen Davies looks to grab at neck height but it comes right back out. 91-1

Ball 61: Wong back into the attack, got 'er! Great catch! Winfield-Hill's reprieve is short-lived. Banged in short, the half-centurion looks to fire with force at shoulder height, but it looks like a top edge that loops it over to backward point. Eve Jones runs in and grabs it on the dive fantastically. Phoenix are ecstatic. 97-2

Ball 68: Great stroke from Kimmince for four! Important. Tossed up by Gordon, the Australian steps up, opens up the angle and cracks it over the bowler and the umpire with the bounce. All to play for. 105-2

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The Superchargers innings began to fall away after Winfield-Hill was dismissed

Ball 80: Full toss to long-on, taken! Wolvaardt goes, and she looks visibly frustrated. This will be a tense ending. Maqsood strikes, as Wolvaardt steps back but it doesn't catch the middle of the bat, skied up to Franklin who sets herself and grabs easily. 113-3

Ball 81: Gone! Two-for-two! Kimmince must walk, and suddenly Birmingham Phoenix are right back in a commanding position. Full, straight from Arlott - a brilliant yorker, creeps off the toe end of the bat and off-stump is disturbed. Two new batters at the crease. 113-4

Ball 89: Stumped! And this looks done now. Kirstie Gordon goes a bit shorter, and finds the bounce which completely beats Davidson-Richards. Amy Jones waits behind the stumps eagerly, and has all the time she needs to whip the bails off. 119-5

Balls 99 and 100: In the air and taken. Linsey Smith looks to hit big, but Isy Wong gets the line and length perfect, meaning she can't get anything underneath it, and it loops straight to mid-off. They finish 16 runs short. 132-6

The Reaction

Eve Jones was named Match Hero, not only for her half-century but an excellent catch, on which she said: "To be honest, I haven't taken a catch this tournament, so it was really nice to hold on to one!

"I think my game has come a long way with strike rates, and that freedom, so it's been nice to be able to express myself, and just be able enjoy it." 

"Playing the Kia Super League and this has been a huge step-up. It's been hugely enjoyable and I'm really loving my cricket right now."

Amy Jones, skipper of the winning side, said: "We were pretty happy at half-time with how many runs we had scored, but then the way Lauren [Winfield-Hill] came out, took the game on, she was brilliant - certainly got a bit nervy. Happy to get the key wickets when we did."

On the state of the table, where London Spirit will need a large victory tomorrow to overcome a heavy NRR deficit, she commented: "We were just very happy to have won that game. We will be watching the London Spirit game, and seeing how they go, but we've been told it's a very slim chance that they could leap-frog us."

Birmingham Phoenix 147-4 off 100 balls

Northern Superchargers 133-6 off 100 balls

Birmingham Phoenix win!

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