The Hundred: Oval Invincibles hammer Birmingham Phoenix by 45 runs in ladies’s match opener

Oval Invincibles cruised to a 45-run win over Birmingham Phoenix at The Oval to open the 2024 season of The Hundred.

Paige Scholfield (71 off 40 balls) and England worldwide Alice Capsey (52 off 40) each struck fifties as Invincibles posted 150-5 from their 100 balls after being put into bat on the toss.

Phoenix benefitted from 5 penalty runs being awarded to them early on of their reply, Marizanne Kapp punished for ‘harmful play’ after throwing the ball again at Suzie Bates in her comply with by way of.

An incensed Kapp (1-21) returned quickly after to bowl Bates for six, whereas Ellyse Perry was run out for a duck after excellent work from Capsey, and Sterre Kalis (17) was bowled by Ryana MacDonald-Homosexual (1-11) subsequent ball.

The Phoenix chase by no means actually recovered, with Amanda-Jade Wellington (3-9) ripping by way of the decrease order with three wickets – together with England’s Amy Jones for 21 – because the guests have been finally bowled out for 105 in 92 balls.

Earlier, Katie Levick (1-16) claimed the primary wicket of the 2024 match when bowling Invincibles captain Lauren Winfield-Hill for 12.

Scholfield introduced up her 28-ball half century swiftly after plundering four-straight boundaries off Sophie Devine’s bowling, whereas Capsey benefitted from being dropped off back-to-back deliveries when on 32.

Emily Arlott was the primary responsible occasion, placing down a pointy caught-and-bowled probability, whereas Issy Wong shelled the second at deep square-leg.

Arlott (2-19) made amends considerably with the wickets of Kapp (7) and Laura Harris (0) off consecutive balls to seek out herself on a hat-trick, which Mady Villiers safely blocked out.

Regardless of the considerably stuttering end, Invincibles’ whole was all the time more likely to be a testing one for a Phoenix group which did not win a single match final yr… and so they begin the 2024 season with one other heavy defeat.

Participant of the Match – Paige Scholfield (Oval Invincibles)

Paige Scholfield was rightly awarded Participant of the Match honours, having set the tone together with her 71 off 40 balls on the high of the order for Invincibles.

The 28-year-old racked up 12 boundaries in her enterprising knock, together with 4 in a row off Sophie Devine shortly earlier than mentioning her 29-ball half century.

Sky Sports activities’ Stuart Broad stated of Scholfield’s knock: “Hugely impressive.

“Particularly as an inexperienced opening batter, to exit and set the tone, arguably for the entire match.

“She has got the Oval Invincibles above a par score due to her strokeplay – she was particular strong over the offside – as she found the boundary with ease.”

What’s subsequent?

The Hundred continues on Wednesday as Southern Courageous tackle London Spirit.

The ladies’s match is stay on Sky Sports activities Cricket from 2.30pm with play to begin from 3pm, whereas you may as well stream through the Sky Sports activities app and YouTube. The Courageous are defending champions from 2023.

The boys’s conflict is stay from 6pm forward of play beginning at 6.30pm. Courageous have been winners of the boys’s competitors within the inaugural season in 2021.

Sky Sports activities will present all 68 video games in The Hundred stay this summer time, whereas you may as well watch chosen video games from The Hundred on Sky Sports activities App and YouTube. Stream The Hundred and extra with NOW