The Cricketer looks at the main talking points from the women's Hundred Eliminator between Oval Invincibles and London Spirit at the Kia Oval
The ball followed Danielle Gibson around like a homing missile at times during the Eliminator, and it wasn't all good news.
With the ball, her 15 deliveries went for 38 and though she collected two wickets, her spells looked to have given Oval Invincibles a platform to build from.
Regretfully, that display with the ball bled into her performance in the field. Chances to dismiss Alice Capsey on 12 and 17 slipped through her fingers - literally in the second instance as she came in off the rope but misjudged the trajectory of the ball, which subsequently bounced for four.
But that was all forgotten in the penultimate set when she dismissed Mady Villiers with a remarkable catch.
Villiers attempted to heave Charlie Dean over mid-wicket but didn't get hold of all of it. The ball looked to be falling short of the fielders in the deep but Gibson had other ideas, sliding onto the rough practice pitches and completing a stunning low grab.
"WHAT A CATCH!"
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 17, 2024
Dani Gibson, take a bow đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/e5biF7n7AM
"We identified pace-off was the key early, another brilliant display in the field. The hallmark of our campaign is we've been quite calm."
Heather Knight played a vital role in Spirit limiting Invincibles to 113 for 9 with some impeccable marshalling of her troops.
With her bowlers hitting tight lines, she rotated her attack superbly to keep new batters on their toes.
At one stage five of the middle sets were bowled by five different bowlers as Sarah Glenn, Eva Gray, Dean, Deepti Sharma and Gibson were all deployed.
The first 20 deliveries of that stretch only cost 27 and the penultimate ball of that final set led to the removal of Capsey just as Invincibles were building nicely.
Welsh Fire have been warned.
(ECB via Getty Images)
The Kia Oval became the latest venue to break its record attendance for a women's Hundred fixture, as 15,823 watched the Eliminator on Saturday afternoon.
It becomes the sixth ground to do so during the 2024 competition, the fourth edition. Sophia Gardens, Old Trafford, Trent Bridge, Headingley and Utilita Bowl have all recorded landmark attendances during the group stage.
And it is likely that Lord's will make that a magnificent seven for the final on Sunday.
Edgbaston is the only ground not to reach a new watermark, partly due to their record standing at nearly 15,000 from when Birmingham Phoenix faced Manchester Originals in 2022, which remains a domestic record at the ground.
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