Impressive Australian pair Phoebe Litchfield and Georgia Wareham led Northern Superchargers to a straightforward 14-run victory against the Oval Invincibles at Headingley.

The classy and composed Litchfield hit 68 from 45 balls, as she combined with skipper Hollie Armitage in a partnership worth 94, which helped the Superchargers reach 143 for 4, recovering well after losing both their openers early to South African international Marizanne Kapp. Wareham then impressed with the ball, taking 2 for 20, including the strange dismissal of England Ashes star Alice Capsey.

Cordelia Griffith offered some resistance with a quickfire 30 off 15 deliveries, which included three fours and one six, but it was not enough for Invincibles.

Invincibles now face an uphill challenge to make it three back-to-back titles, with only three points on the board having played half their games in the group stage. Superchargers, meanwhile, will be eyeing up a top three spot with their second victory of the week, which leaves them on six points from four games.

Litchfield led the way for the Superchargers, helping her team recover from 15 for 2 after Kapp took two early wickets, including that of India international Jemimah Rodrigues, who was bowled for a golden duck.

Following the powerplay, the Superchargers found their rhythm with Litchfield and Armitage regularly finding the boundary with some brilliant shots. Skipper Armitage was trying to lead her team to a big score but had to depart for 42 off 33 after chipping a Capsey delivery to mid-off.

The first six of the innings did not come until the 86th ball, when the inventive Litchfield smashed a full toss from Ryana McDonald-Gay over the midwicket boundary. Five balls later she was dismissed for 68 off 45 balls as she clubbed an Eva Gray delivery straight to the fielder at long-off. Superchargers finished on 143 for 4, with Bess Heath hitting the final ball for four.

After a good start to the Invincibles chase, former Supercharger Lauren Winfield-Hill was bowled for 15 – but Grace Ballinger had bowled a no-ball and the resulting free hit was dispatched to the boundary. However, Winfield-Hill didn’t capitalise on her reprieve as she was caught at mid-on off the bowling of Alice Davidson-Richards for 19.

Capsey was then bizarrely dismissed as she advanced down the pitch to Wareham but completely lost sight of the ball and it made its way to wicketkeeper Heath, who whipped off the bails at the second time of asking with the 19-year-old England international watching on still some way down the pitch.

Linsey Smith then got the key wicket of Kapp, who departed for 4 as she drilled a wide one straight to the impressive Litchfield in the covers.

Superchargers asserted their dominance with the dismissal of Paige Scholfield, who pulled a Wareham delivery straight to Smith on the square-leg boundary, and Invincibles saw their hopes of victory fade when stand-in captain Suzie Bates, who stepped into the role because Dane van Niekerk was missing with a thumb injury, cut a Kate Cross delivery straight to Rodrigues at point.

Griffith did show some resistance for Invincibles with a quickfire 30 from 15 deliveries, but it was not enough to stop Superchargers’ victory charge.