Harry Brook and Zak Crawley get better of Jonny Bairstow and Steve Smith in The Hundred at Headingley
England duo Zak Crawley and Harry Brook fired the Northern Superchargers to an eight-wicket win against Welsh Fire at Headingley.
Crawley whacked 67 off 38 balls and Brook was 25 not out off 15 deliveries as the Superchargers chased down their target of 144 with ease.
Jonny Bairstow’s 42 and 29 from Australia’s Steve Smith had seen the Fire post 143-9 off their allotted balls, with Imad Wasim, Matthew Potts and Adil Rashid taking two wickets apiece.
That was never going to be enough with Crawley in this mood, though, as he shared an opening stand of 91 with Dawid Malan (41).
He hit five fours and four sixes in his breathless innings, with Brook joining him at the crease to get his team over the line, hitting two maximums and a four as the Superchargers won with 11 balls to spare.
The evening started with a Leeds crowd conflicted as they 'welcomed' the Fire opening pair to the crease - cheering Yorkshireman Bairstow before booing former Australia skipper Smith.
That was until Bairstow started firing the ball to all corners of the ground.
Once the Fire had been doused, Brook came in and smacked his first ball for six, just four days after scoring a century for England in the fifth Test with India at the Oval.
Both Superchargers teams are looking to make Finals Day for what would the first time in five years for the men and just the second time for the women.
Australia international Georgia Wareham earlier starred with bat and ball – 29 not out and 2-19 - as Superchargers Women beat Fire by 47 runs.
Wareham struck three fours and a six in her late cameo, sharing an unbroken stand of 52 with top scorer Hollie Armitage, who finished on 34 not out.
The pair fired their team to 141 for four, with Hayley Matthews taking two for 18 for Fire.
Wareham then starred in the field as she was involved in the run outs of Sophia Dunkley and Georgia Elwiss before dismissing Jess Jonassen and Katie George in her 20 balls.
Tammy Beaumont top scored with 36 but wickets fell regularly at the other end as Fire were bowled out for 94.