Deepti Sharma and Heather Knight Propel London Spirit to Crucial 7 Wickets Victory
Deepti Sharma and Heather Knight help London Spirit defeat Northern Superchargers by seven wickets, preserving their chances of qualifying for the playoffs while also dismissing the Superchargers in The Hundred 2024.
The two scored 77 runs apiece to move Spirit up to second place in the standings with nine points. Spirit will now be watching the action at Trent Bridge on Thursday, as the match between the Trent Rockets and Oval Invincibles will determine who finishes in the top three.
Key Performances and Match Results
Northern Superchargers 99 for 7 (Alice Davidson-Richards 33, Gray 3-17) lost to London Spirit 105 for 2 (Knight 43*, Deepti 37*, Smith 3-16) by seven wickets.
The Superchargers’ campaign is officially gone, but a victory tonight would have ensured their spot in the final three for the second straight season.
The bowlers up top for Spirit did the damage. Tara Norris, Eva Gray, and Dani Gibson all claimed wickets to remove the Superchargers’ top three, which included the dangerous Phoebe Litchfield, leaving the team three down after just 14 balls.
While Annabel Sutherland, another Australian who frequently plays a key role for Hollie Armitage’s team, attempted to rebuild for her team after picking off Deepti long-on, hopes of a massive total for the hosts vanished. Their 99 felt 7 felt inadequate, but Alice Davidson-Richards’ 33 made sure they had something on the board.
To make a game of it, Superchargers were going to require early wickets and pressure on the scoreboard, but Meg Lanning hit two sixes in an 11-ball 20 to put Spirit ahead of the chase.
After replacing Lanning, Linsey Smith took two more wickets to momentarily restore the Superchargers’ hopes, but that was the moment that brought Knight and Deepti together and they would never be parted.
They were patient at first, but as the race came to a close, they picked up speed and seemed to be enjoying themselves. The skilled international pair shown their class to preserve Spirit’s chances and put a stop to the Superchargers. Deepti, the Meerkat Match Hero, stated: “I believe our bowlers deserve all the credit. We conducted a very effective meeting.
“I believe that I’m accustomed to these kinds of circumstances. The wicket is a little bit slower and can be skiddy at times, but we did a great job both in the first and second innings.
“I enjoy challenges, and I enjoy bowling and batting in those kinds of settings. We will sit there and [see] the other games, but we only pay attention to our games.”
