Ash Gardner, Marcus Stoinis star on mixed day for Australians in the Hundred
Star all-rounder Ash Gardner remains winless in her leadership of the Trent Rockets despite delivering her best knock yet, having to bow instead to the Australian-powered Northern Superchargers at Trent Bridge.
Marcus Stoinis made swift amends after a tough opening match, keeping his cool to deliver with bat and ball and give the Rockets' men's side lift-off to their campaign.
Stoinis sent down just one five-ball "over" in the clash with Northern Superchargers at Trent Bridge on Sunday, but it was enough time for him to earn two wickets in successive balls, including the prize scalp of an on-song Harry Brook.
His 2–0 contribution proved crucial in keeping the Superchargers down to a sub-par total of 9–124 and was a far cry from Friday's opener when he had been hammered for a wicketless 34 runs off 20 balls as the Rockets misfired against the Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston.
With a few nerves jangling and nine runs still needed off the final 10 balls to get to the winning line, Stoinis (8 not out) and English batter Adam Hose (5 not out) then knocked off the runs between them to seal the Rockets' five-wicket win with four balls remaining.
Gardner, meanwhile, kept her Rockets' hopes alive with her thrilling knock of 61 off 32 balls.
Studded with 10 fours, it represented nearly half their total of 8–128, but still proved nowhere near enough as the Superchargers, thriving off the back of excellent performances from Aussie internationals Georgia Wareham, Phoebe Litchfield and Annabel Sutherland, knocked off the runs for the loss of just two wickets.
The supremely talented Litchfield, with an inventive switch-hitting cameo of 22 off just 10 balls, and Sutherland, clattering an unbeaten 18 off 11, took the visitors swiftly past the target with 21 balls remaining.
They provided the main support acts to 18-year-old English find Davina Perrin, whose brilliant unbeaten 72 deservedly won her the player of the match honours and marked her as an opener Australia may have reason to be fearful of over the next few years.
Gardner had been hitting the ball beautifully while wickets tumbled around her, hitting her first half-century since captaining the Gujarat Giants in the Women's Premier League in February.
In the day's earlier match at Southampton, Ellyse Perry's Birmingham Phoenix were beaten by 15 runs by Southern Brave.
The great Australian all-rounder looked well set to guide the visitors to a second straight win in the competition as they chased a total of 7–139 but on 26 off 21 balls, Perry toe-ended a swipe off Sophie Devine and was bagged at deep mid wicket.
From there, the Phoenix challenge, which had kicked off with Aussie opener Georgia Voll getting bowled for 10, eventually faded as they were bowled out for 124, with only Dutch batter Sterre Kalis showing much resistance with her 44 off 34 balls.
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