August 11, 2024

Invincibles Replace Spirit in Top Three with Comfortable Win

Oval Invincibles stayed in contention for the top spot after a decisive win against London Spirit in The Hundred at The Kia Oval. Lauren Winfield-Hill led the chase with a solid 61 off 40 balls, her first half-century of the season. She was supported by Marizanne Kapp as the Invincibles comfortably chased down 120, securing victory with nine balls to spare.

The match was set up by Indian all-rounder Deepti Sharma, who helped London Spirit recover from a dire position of 47 for 7 to finish at 120 for 8. Sharma’s partnership with Eva Gray was crucial, as they combined for a record eight-wicket stand. Earlier, Invincibles bowlers had made early breakthroughs, with Kapp dismissing Meg Lanning early on.

In their chase, Winfield-Hill skillfully navigated the Spirit’s spin attack, while Kapp added momentum after Alice Capsey was dismissed. The win not only ended Manchester Originals‘ tournament but also placed Invincibles in a strong position for the playoffs. London Spirit now need to win their final game and rely on other results to secure a top-three finish.

Meerkat Match Hero Winfield-Hill said: “It’s a great feeling. I was due so it’s really nice to contribute, especially at the business end. I’m really pleased to get another good performance and another win.”

“There was a little bit of hold in the wicket. There wasn’t a lot of turn but it just seemed to hold and there was a little bit of bounce. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever played that many reverse sweeps in my whole career but it was just one of those things where it was working and I just kept doing the things that were working.”

“I was really determined to put in a good performance today, and to be there at the end with Kappy is a really nice feeling.”

[On hoping Southern Brave beat Welsh Fire to help Invincibles’ hopes of getting straight to The Hundred Final] “It’s always hard this time of the competition. You’re looking at other results a lot and willing other teams to do well, and I think sometimes you can take your eye off what you’re trying to do. The more we can focus on what we’re trying to do and play our best cricket, the better – but come on Danni Wyatt and co, that would be really useful!”

Tahlia McGrath Wraps Series 3-0 for Australia A After India A Batting Crumbles

Tahlia McGrath’s unbeaten 51 off 22 balls led Australia A to a swift victory over India A in the third T20, completing a 3-0 series sweep. India A was restricted to a modest 120 thanks to strong performances from Grace Parsons, Maitlan Brown, and Nicola Hancock, who each took two wickets, and a standout first-over strike by Tayla Vlaeminck. Vlaeminck, who had missed the second T20, made an immediate impact with figures of 1 for 6 from 4 overs, dismissing Shubha Satheesh for a duck.

India A’s batting struggled, with Priya Punia scoring 11 off 18 balls, Shweta Sehrawat 15 off 28, and Tanuja Kanwar 7 off 10. After Sajeevan Sajana was out for 10, India A was in trouble at 47 for 5. However, Kiran Navgire and captain Minnu Mani added 57 runs together, with Navgire hitting 38 off 20 balls and Mani 22 off 23 before being dismissed by Brown.

In response, Australia A’s chase was led by McGrath, who dominated the innings with powerful hitting. Despite losing Katie Mack and Sophie Wilson to Shabnam Shakil and Mannat Kashyap, McGrath kept up the scoring rate with boundaries. She hit three consecutive fours off Shabnam Shakil in the 14th over to seal the win and reached her half-century. McGrath’s innings included eight fours and two sixes, following her unbeaten 47 in the previous game.