Phoebe Litchfield delivered a historic performance at Edgbaston, striking the fastest half-century in the history of the women’s Hundred. Her explosive innings propelled Sunrisers Leeds to a decisive nine-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix, successfully chasing a target of 108 with 31 balls remaining. This crucial victory keeps Sunrisers Leeds in contention for the tournament, while simultaneously eliminating Birmingham Phoenix, London Spirit, and MI London from playoff consideration.
Birmingham Phoenix struggled to generate momentum after being sent in to bat, ultimately posting a sub-par total of 107 for 9. Ellyse Perry provided a brief spark with 31 runs off 22 balls, though she benefited from an early reprieve when Annabel Sutherland dropped a catch at long-on. Jess Jonassen eventually removed Perry, with Litchfield securing the catch. Emma Lamb offered the only other significant resistance with 47 runs, but the Phoenix lineup failed to establish meaningful partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals.
The Phoenix innings collapsed during the final stages, yielding only 18 runs while losing five wickets in the last 20 balls. Sunrisers’ bowling unit remained disciplined throughout the match; Kate Cross claimed two wickets, while Deepti Sharma, Annabel Sutherland, and Jess Jonassen maintained tight economy rates to stifle the hosts on a favorable batting surface. Deepti Sharma finished with standout figures of 3-11.
Litchfield dominated the chase with a display of aggressive strokeplay, utilizing sweeps and switch-hits to reach her record-breaking milestone. She remained unbeaten on 71 off just 33 balls. Following the dismissal of Bryony Smith, Lauren Winfield-Hill provided steady support to guide the team to victory. 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.
Asked to bat first, Birmingham Phoenix never found any momentum and finished with a below-par 107 for 9.
