Mandhana shines while rain keeps Harman, Richa out of action

The third season of the Women’s Hundred has had a mixed start thus far. Four of the ten league games thus far have been washed out without a ball being bowled. Two games have been high scoring, with the side batting first notching over 150. The others have been low-scoring clashes, with the first innings scores ranging from 80 to 110. 

The Welsh Fire, who finished last in each of the last two seasons, currently top of the table. In this space, we look at how the Indian contingent has fared thus far in the competition. 

Smriti Mandhana - the top-scorer

The prolific Indian opener, Smriti Mandhana’s stars in T20 cricket have not shone the brightest this year. After mixed results in South Africa, where she featured in a tri-series and the Women’s T20 World Cup, the left-hander had a horror WPL season. Leading the Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mandhana averaged only 18.6 in eight innings at a strike-rate of 111.2. Also, her team finished second from the bottom. 

Mandhana also averaged only 17.3 on sluggish tracks in Bangladesh during a three-match bilateral T20I series. 

But, in the ongoing Hundred season, playing for the Southern Brave, the 27-year old seems to be back at her consistent best. Ten matches into the league stage, Mandhana is the highest run-scorer in the season, scoring 144 runs in three innings at a strike-rate of 145.5. 

Mandhana kicks off The Hundred in style! @mandhana_smriti#TheHundred #StreamingLiveOnFanCode pic.twitter.com/E3rG2KJ5Na

— FanCode (@FanCode) August 1, 2023

The left-hander started the season with back-to-back fifties - 55 off 36 balls against Trent Rockets and an unbeaten 70 off 42 balls versus Welsh Fire. The latter was one-of-a-kind innings. 

Chasing 166, Mandhana was the support act to Danni Wyatt, who plundered 67 in an opening stand of 96 from 58 deliveries. However, none of the next three batters managed to get into the double figures, with Mandhana having to take the center stage. She shifted to the fifth gear, scoring 43 off 21 balls. 

Southern Brave required nine runs from the last set of five balls and Mandhana faced only two deliveries. Eventually, her team fell short by four runs. 

During the first half-century, she struck the first six of the competition. With her second half-century, Mandhana became the first player in the Women’s Hundred to notch up 500 runs. 

💥 The first six of #TheHundred 2023! 💥

Who else but @mandhana_smriti? 😍 pic.twitter.com/cLMS5cb9ze

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 1, 2023

Mandhana failed to deliver in a low-scoring contest against Northern Superchargers (19 off 21 balls) but her side won by five wickets and is comfortably placed at the second spot on the points table. 

Harman, Jemimah and Richa yet to make a mark

Harmanpreet Kaur for Trent Rockets, Jemimah Rodrigues for Northern Superchargers and Richa Ghosh for London Spirit are yet to make an impact in the tournament. London Spirit have had both their games washed out which has kept Ghosh out of the action. 

The rain has washed out one of Trent Rockets’ game, thus allowing Kaur only one game as yet. The Indian skipper featured in the season opener, scoring 22 off 17 balls with two fours and a six, in her team’s defeat against Mandhana’s Brave. 

What a beauty 😍

Anya Shrubsole doing Anya Shrubsole things 👏#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/bPdKhspgXP

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2023

Rodrigues though, has been underwhelming for the Superchargers with scores of 16 off 10 and 6 off 7 as an opener. She was bowled by a brute from Anya Shrubsole in the second clash. Rodrigues also rolled her arm over, bowling 10 balls for 18 runs but without any luck.