Sammy-Jo Johnson lamented a 25-ball 64-run third-wicket partnership between Jemimah Rodrigues and Laura Kimmince, which saw Northern Superchargers condemn Trent Rockets to their second defeat of The Hundred.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” said the Australian all-rounder who recorded a four-wicket haul.

“It is nice to contribute but I’m not happy to lose out on two points. We had them under pressure with the ball, but with the way Rodrigues and Kimmince batted, our execution wasn’t good enough. 

“The pitch played well. It came onto the bat quite nicely, and any pace on the ball you could put your hands through.

“Wickets at the front of the innings would have helped. They had freedom in the middle overs because they had wickets in hand.”

India star Rodrigues hit ten fours in her second Hundred half-century, while Kimmince blistered 31 from just 13 with seven boundaries and Winfield-Hill scored 33 as the Superchargers posted 149 for seven, the highest total of the women’s competition so far, despite seamer Johnson claiming four for 15.

Katherine Brunt made an unbeaten 43 and Nat Sciver 33 from 23 balls, but the Rockets fell short with two wickets each for Alice Davidson-Richards and leg spinner Katie Levick. Left-arm spinner Linsey Smith conceded only 12 runs from 20 balls.

The Rockets had started well after the Superchargers opted to bat first, restricting them to 27 in the Powerplay, albeit for no wickets, with Winfield-Hill finding three boundaries including a pull for six off Sciver. 

Dropped on 24 and 31, the England batter’s luck ran out after she and Rodrigues had put on 64 in 53 balls, stumped off leg spinner Sarah Glenn. New batter Laura Woolvaardt lasted only five deliveries, Johnson stooping for a caught and bowled. 

Kimmince took consecutive fours off Brunt, and Rodrigues two off Heather Graham, before the Indian international’s eighth boundary took her to 52 from 36 balls as Sciver conceded three boundaries in her third set of five. Australian batter Kimmince then humbled England’s Glenn with five boundaries in five balls.

“It was a combination of good batting and our execution,” Johnson remarked of the partnership.

“Rodrigues is a class batter, and she has been unlucky not to play more for India recently. 

“When a player is on a run you need to get them early. She wasn’t on many runs at the end of the powerplay, but with her and Kimmince, if you don't get them out early, they will cause damage."

Johnson responded for the Rockets, though, with three wickets in five, much to the delight of the six and half thousand strong crowd in attendance.

“It’s awesome to see so many people, everyone is jumping around,” Johnson smiled.

“It’s great that the DJ is creating an atmosphere and to see so many people coming through the gates. It shows that there is an appetite for the game.”

Johnson first bowled Kimmince with a slower delivery before Rodrigues, on 60, holed out to long on and Heather Armitage sliced to short third man. Superchargers lost two more wickets in the final nine balls but had set a tough task for the Rockets.

The home side lost Rachel Priest to the eighth ball of their reply when she found the fielder at extra cover.

Sciver was beginning to find her range taking three boundaries in a row off Levick and, although Johnson lofted a Davidson-Richards slower ball straight to deep square leg, 41 for two from the Powerplay looked a good platform.

Brunt and Sciver added 47 from 29, but the Rockets’ hopes began to slide when Sciver chipped a return catch to leg-spinner Heather Armitage and Heather Graham was leg before sweeping Smith.

Glenn smashed four and six off seamer Elizabeth Russell before she was stumped off Levick. Teresa Graves skied one off Davidson-Richards and Kathryn Bryce top-edged Levick to cover, leaving Brunt (43 off 36) a frustrated figure at the other end.

You can view the scorecard from the game here...