Alyssa Healy launched the second season of the women's Hundred with a six but ended up on the losing side as her Northern Superchargers team lost at The Oval.
Alyssa Healy has hit the first six of the women's Hundred, England's newish short-format domestic competition, but also became the first wicket as her franchise team lost heavily at The Oval.
Healy made 15 off seven balls as Northern Superchargers reached 5-143 from their 100 balls with India's Jemimah Rodrigues hitting 51 off 32 balls and South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt 49 off 39.
Oval Invincibles, the defending champions, made short work of the target. Lauren Winfield-Hill, who played for Superchargers last year, cracked an unbeaten 74 off 42 balls putting on 104 for the first wicket with New Zealand's Suzie Bates (46 off 34). English tyro Alice Capsey, on her 18th birthday, then came in to smash 25 off eight balls to clinch a nine-wicket victory with 16 balls to spare.
Healy is one of the biggest overseas players in the tournament's second season - the debut year featured few Australians because of COVID-19. While the men's version of the franchise format has been highly controversial, dividing the game due to its impact on the counties, the women's Hundred has been a triumph bringing a new audience due to staging double-headers with the men.
This year's women's competition began later than the men's due to the Commonwealth Games, in which Australia won the women's cricket gold, but began in style with top billing at The Oval after the men's fixture between the same teams.
Under a baking sun an estimated 16,000, around two-thirds of the near full-house that watched the men, stayed for the women's match. They were treated to Healy dancing down the wicket to drive Mady Villiers over the top for six second ball.
Two balls later Healy was dropped at mid-on by Shabnim Ismail, with the ball going for four. It looked as it would prove an expensive miss when the next ball Healy swept for four.
Healy, however, ran out of luck when she tried to drive over the top again, and was caught by Bates at mid-off off Sophia Smale (1-25 off 20).
