London Spirit Girls started their defence of the Hundred title with a 17-run victory over two-time champions Oval Invincibles in a London derby at Lord’s as Grace Harris marginally outshone fellow Australian Meg Lanning.
Harris (89no off 42 balls) shared a Spirit-record stand of 100 from 52 balls with Cordelia Griffith (50 off 29) – the latter notching her maiden Hundred fifty – because the hosts carded 176-5, the second-highest rating within the girls’s competitors.
Harris was dropped on 22 by Ryana MacDonald-Homosexual at long-off and punished Invincibles for that error, nailing six sixes – together with back-to-back maximums off spinner Sophia Smale – and 7 fours.
Starting a frightening chase, Invincibles noticed skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill (0) pinned lbw second ball by Tara Norris and, bar a breezy 22 off 13 balls from Alice Capsey, they struggled to get going early on.
Nonetheless, Lanning (85 off 51), who had been scratchy to start out, then ignited with a barrage of boundaries and when she went six, 4, 4, six off Eva Grey to go away the requirement 27 from 10 balls, the guests had actual hope.
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Meg Lanning’s dismissal to Issy Wong ended Invincibles’ hopes of beating Spirit at Lord’s.
However Lanning then holed out at deep midwicket off Issy Wong (2-26) three balls later and Invincibles ended on 159-4 with Spirit skipper Charlie Dean conceding simply three of the 21 runs wanted from the ultimate 5 deliveries.
Wong earlier bowled Marizanne Kapp (33 off 21), whereas leg-spinner Sarah Glenn – trying to drive her method again into the England set-up forward of this autumn’s World Cup in India – trapped Capsey lbw.
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Play between Spirit and Invincibles needed to be momentarily stopped after umpire Sue Redfern was struck by the ball
What’s subsequent?
Invincibles will play Manchester Originals on Saturday at The Kia Oval (11am), with Spirit subsequent in motion later the identical day as they head to Cardiff to tackle Welsh Hearth (2.30pm).
Wednesday’s Hundred double header is between Manchester Originals and Southern Courageous at Emirates Outdated Trafford (girls’s match at 3pm, males’s at 6.30pm)
Watch each match from The Hundred reside on Sky Sports activities Cricket as much as and together with the finals at Lord’s on Sunday August 31.
