Sutherland masterclass as Aussies target Hundred glory

The Australian international trio of Annabel Sutherland, Phoebe Litchfield and Nicola Carey have combined brilliantly once more to power their Northern Superchargers side into the playoffs of the Hundred.

Sutherland proved the player of the match with a superb allround display to help sink Beth Mooney's Manchester Originals and set up an "eliminator'' semi-final with another Australia-powered side, the London Spirit, at The Oval on Saturday.

The winners of that match will then face the already qualified, unbeaten Southern Brave - the only team in the competition without an Australian women's presence - in Sunday's final.

But it's the Yorkshire-based Superchargers who look increasingly potent, thanks to the influence of their Aussie trio, who all played key roles in their emphatic eight-wicket "Roses'' win over the Lancashire franchise, the Originals, at their Headingley stronghold in Leeds on Tuesday.

Sutherland took 3-15, including the prize wicket of captain Mooney, before scoring an unbeaten 30 off 17 balls while combining in a consummate unbeaten half-century stand with Litchfield (26no off 20) to ease the Superchargers to victory with 35 balls remaining.

Carey, who only stepped in as a replacement when another Australian star Georgia Wareham was injured a fortnight ago, has filled in tremendously since her arrival, this time taking a catch, effecting the match-sealing run-out and taking 2-13 off her 20-ball stint.

Wareham, who started the tournament in exceptional fashion before her exit with a groin injury, is gone but not forgotten by her teammates, who now take a life-size cardboard cut-out of her with them wherever they play.

"She even turned up to a team meeting … she's superb," laughed opener Alice Davidson-Richards.

Meanwhile, the real-life duo of Sutherland and Litchfield seem unstoppable at the moment.

"It feels like they're hitting their straps at just the right time," said captain Hollie Armitage.

"Bellsy (Sutherland) is brilliant with bat and ball and in the field and she's someone I lean on as well from a captaincy point of view, so she's brilliant to have in the squad."

But for Mooney, who scored 13 off 20 balls before Carey caught her off Sutherland's bowling, the tournament is over as her side bowed out tamely, dismissed for just 94 before the Superchargers reached 2-96 off just 65 balls.

They'll next play their "eliminator'' on Saturday against a London Spirit team powered by Australian internationals Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne and Charli Knott.