Phoebe Litchfield smashed the fastest half-century in the history of the women’s Hundred as Sunrisers Leeds cruised to a nine-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston, chasing down 108 with 31 balls to spare.
The emphatic win kept Sunrisers Leeds’ hopes alive in the competition while ending the playoff chances of Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit and MI London.
Asked to bat first, Birmingham Phoenix never found any momentum and finished with a below-par 107 for 9. Their innings was built around Ellyse Perry’s brisk 31 off 22 balls after the top order failed to make an impact yet again. Perry survived an early chance when Annabel Sutherland dropped her at long-on, but Jess Jonassen eventually dismissed her with Litchfield taking the catch.
Emma Lamb provided the only other notable contribution with a score in the 40s, but regular wickets prevented Phoenix from building partnerships. The innings petered out towards the end, with the hosts managing only 18 runs while losing five wickets in the final 20 balls.
Sunrisers’ bowlers kept things tight throughout. Kate Cross picked up two wickets, while Deepti Sharma, Sutherland and Jonassen all maintained impressive economy rates to restrict Phoenix on a good batting surface.
The chase was one-way traffic thanks to Litchfield’s stunning strokeplay. She attacked from the outset with sweeps and switch-hits, racing to a record-breaking fifty before finishing unbeaten on 71 off just 33 balls. After Bryony Smith departed, Lauren Winfield-Hill played the supporting role as the pair guided Sunrisers home comfortably.
Brief scores: Birmingham Phoenix 107/9 in 100 balls (Emma Lamb 47; Deepti Sharma 3-11) lost to Sunrisers Leeds 111/1 in 69 balls (Phoebe Litchfield 71*) by 9 wickets
