Originals’ women edge last-ball thriller as Ecclestone hails team spirit

Manchester Originals players celebrate after their win
Richard Sellers/PA Wire

Manchester Originals’ women held their nerve to overcome Trent Rockets by one run in a dramatic Hundred clash.

Ash Gardner, having shared a stand of 78 with the peerless Nat Sciver-Brunt, found the boundary off the first two balls of Kathryn Bryce’s last set, reducing the deficit to four.

But the third found the safe hands of fellow Aussie Beth Mooney in the deep, and Heather Graham took a single off the fourth, leaving Sciver-Brunt needing a boundary off the last.

She managed the power but not the placement, and Fi Morris was able to keep them to two.

It was less than Sciver-Brunt deserved for her 56, comfortably the highest score of the day, but a hard-earned win for the Originals after a vast improvement from last Thursday’s defeat to Welsh Fire.

With Sciver-Brunt’s innings coming after Sophia Dunkley’s 69 made the difference in the opener, captain Sophie Ecclestone admitted she preferred cheering on her England teammates to bowling at them.

But she was delighted with the way her side held their nerve under pressure.

She said: “We’re quite a close-knit group already, and I feel like we fight to the end. 

“The game’s never over, and it changes so fast. To take it to the last ball was not ideal, but we were buzzing to get over the line.”

The pitch at Emirates Old Trafford was the same as that for last Thursday’s game, but Originals’ use of it after Sciver-Brunt won the toss was night and day. 

Nobody made more than Eve Jones’ 34, but everyone except Emma Lamb scored at more than a run a ball.

Mooney barbecued her opening partner, Laura Wolvaardt, then made up for it by whacking Gardner over long-on, the first of six sixes in the innings. 

Bryce combined with Jones for a stand of 52 in 47 balls, before Ecclestone launched the first and fourth balls she faced over cow corner.

From the beginning of the power play, the hosts only let the Rockets bowlers rack up successive dot balls on one occasion. 

By contrast, the Originals strung together seven such sequences. 

Ecclestone came off worst in her personal battle with Sciver-Brunt, yielding three boundaries, but kept Gardner quiet during the middle overs, having had Grace Scrivens stumped by Ellie Threlkeld.

Alice Monaghan hared around the boundary to great effect, and pulled off a superb diving catch at deep third to remove Nat Wraith off the bowling of Lauren Filer, who was given the player of the match award for her 2/26.

Ecclestone added: “We were buzzing to get on the board, it was a strong performance from the girls. 

“Eve Jones batted unbelievably, it was great to see her come out and play to her strengths. And I was proud of Brycey at the end.”

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/flxHp12