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In a nail-biting encounter of The Hundred Women 2024, Northern Superchargers and Southern Brave faced off in the 8th match of the tournament, resulting in a thrilling tie. Chasing a target of 100 runs from 100 balls, the Superchargers needed three runs off the final delivery to secure a win but managed only two, ending the match with equal scores.
Lauren Bell dismisses Alice Davidson Richards with a beauty
England seamer Lauren Bell emerged as the standout performer of the match, showcasing her skill and composure under pressure. Bell’s exceptional bowling performance, where she claimed four crucial wickets, was instrumental in taking the game down to the wire.
On the 98th delivery of the match, Bell’s brilliance was on full display as she dismissed the well-set Alice Davidson Richards with a stunning delivery. Davidson Richards advanced down the wicket, attempting to guide the ball towards mid-wicket, but Bell delivered a full in-swinging ball that breached Davidson Richards’ defense and shattered her stumps.
Here is the video:
4 runs required. 3 balls left… and then Belly does this 🤯
Every. Ball. Counts.#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/XCD5doU1Lp
— The Hundred (@thehundred) July 30, 2024
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Bell reflects on the emotions after the game
Bell described the adrenaline rush she experienced during the last set of deliveries, emphasizing that these high-pressure situations are what players live for. She highlighted the importance of assessing each ball and adapting to the batter she was facing, noting that variations in pace were effective on the particular pitch.
The right-arm pacer acknowledged that the ideal final delivery would have been a straight yorker, and while she believes she came close to executing it, she also recognizes the value of hindsight in evaluating decisions. Bell’s reflection shows her awareness of both the thrill and the complexity of playing cricket at the highest level.
“The emotions were up and down! In that last set of five I had a lot of adrenaline. It was cool, that’s what we play cricket for. You just go ball by ball at the death, and see what player you’re bowling at. Pace-off was working on this pitch, and pace-on was a good variation, so it was ball by ball. The ideal final ball was a straight yorker and I don’t think I was too far away from executing. Maybe we should have just looked at the field a bit but what can you do, hindsight is lovely,” said Bell after the game.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
