SHIVAM PATHAK recaps the standout moments as the home side pushed themselves up to second in the overall standings
Oval Invincibles kept themselves firmly in contention for the eliminator with a victory over London Spirit this afternoon, which knocked out their local rivals in the process.
Having won the toss and electing to field first, the Invincibles made the most of their decision, as they didn't concede a single boundary after taking their second wicket.
In response, the Spirit were condemned to a thrashing, as despite a couple of wickets and dry spells, the hosts more than enough firepower to chase down the below par total with 13 balls to spare.
Here's how it happened...
Ball 7: Straight to extra cover, and taken! Naomi Dattani has to walk here. Shabnim Ismail comes into the attack and strikes with her second ball - she goes fuller and quicker, angling in and Dattani looks to fire through mid-off, but she can’t get enough under it and it loops to the fielder on the ring. 4-1
Ball 11: That’s four! First of the afternoon. Tash Farrant starts with a length ball on leg stump, allowing Tammy Beaumont just to shuffle across and flick off the pads, beating the pursuing fielder. 10-1
Ball 23: That’s a lovely cover drive! Test cricket like! Shabnim Ismail puts it right in the perfect area for those - full and on off stump, allowing Knight to lean into the stroke and push it between the fielders. 20-1
Ball 36: Good boundary for Knight. Mady Villiers looks to pitch this on a length but it's short, allowing Knight to take plenty of time before pulling it through square to the rope. 39-1
💥 KNIGHT ON THE CHARGE! 💥
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 14, 2021
After a slow start, #LondonSpirit 🔵 are starting to get going thanks to Heather Knight & Tammy Beaumont!#TheHundred 💯| #OvalInvincibles 🟢
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Ball 42: Beaumont strikes again, as this time she attacks Alice Capsey, as she waits for the shorter one, leans back for a moment and then crunches it into the covers. 51-1
Ball 59: Four more! Beaumont won’t miss out there. Grace Gibbs goes short and it’s in the fifth stump region, allowing her to reach out, open up the face of her bat and fire it through covers. 78-1
Ball 62: Looped to short fine… taken! Knight goes. The vastly experienced first wicket partnership is broken. Alice Capsey tosses it up on middle, and Knight looks to fire hard over her shoulder, but it catches the top edge and it sails to the fielder on the ring who moves in and grabs at head height without much issue. 80-2
Ball 71: Gone! Run-out, and Beaumont goes. This is a massive wicket. Kapp pitches this one just a little bit shorter, and Beaumont takes the opportunity to saunter down the track - it’s pushed to mid-off but Joanne Gardner reacts quickest, with a pinpoint throw the non-striker’s end which sends the diving Beaumont back to the hutch. 84-3
Ball 73: Big shout for LBW - given! Gibson goes first ball! Marizanne Kapp goes full and on middle - Gibson looks to shuffle across a bit and nudge it through the leg side, but it strikes her right on the pads. The finger is raised and there’s no review taken. 85-4
Ball 78: Bowled ‘er! Swing and a miss! Deandra Dottin goes, and Alice Capsey has a second. Floated in on a good length, Dottin looks to get onto her knee and sweep over square, but the bounce sees it creep over her bat, disturbing off stump. Invincibles back in control of this innings. 88-5
Ball 92: Out! Castled! Marizanne Kapp goes a little bit slower this time, on the off stump it nips back in. Chloe Tryon looks to hook it over the leg side, but the movement beats her bat and it clatters into the stumps. Two credited wickets now for the South African, plus the delivery that led to the run-out. 98-6
Ball 96: There’s another run-out! Direct hit! Charlie Dean digs out the full one, digging it out and firing over to mid-off. Gibbs is there, and with the batters going for the quick single, she arcs her arm backward and releases in a quick motion, taking off the bails without need for the intermediary. 100-7
🎯 BULLSEYE! 🎯
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 14, 2021
Grace Gibbs finds her target to run out Dean - brilliant from #OvalInvincibles 🟢!
They need 1⃣0⃣4⃣ to win after a stuttering finish from #LondonSpirit 🔵! #TheHundred 💯
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Ball 98: Bowled, straight through! Another wicket. Tash Farrant gets a nice low bounce and immediately the snag of Freya Davies. Full, swinging in, Davies tries to open up an angle to fire it away, but it beats her as she plays at it, and Farrant gets herself onto the scorecard. 101-8
Ball 100: Finishing on a wicket. Deepti Sharma hooks towards long-on, and as it is the final ball they look to scurry home for two, but Grace Gibbs does well to throw back to the bowler quickly, who whips off the bails with Munro out of her ground.103-9
Ball 1: That's four! Great start to this chase! Freya Davies puts it on a length, angling in on off stump, and Georgia Adams just fires through the on-side to the rope with class. 4-0
Ball 11: Four for van Niekerk! Charlie Dean drops her first one a little short, allowing the South African to lower herself and sweep with real pace past the fielder at square. 11-0
Ball 18: Nicked behind, gone! Van Niekerk has to walk here. Munro offers the tempter by going wide and on off stump, and she is obliged, as Van Niekerk chases and it kisses a thick top edge, and Tammy Beaumont runs across and lets it jump into her gloves. 19-1
4⃣ AND OUT! 💥
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 14, 2021
Dane Van Niekerk nails Munro for four but edges behind next ball - big wicket for #LondonSpirit 🔵!#TheHundred 💯 | #OvalInvincibles 🟢
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Ball 26: That's another boundary! Heather Knight's first delivery is also a short one. Georgia Adams has enough time and space to shuffle backwards and fire through point, beating Deandra Dottin who chases all the way to the end. 28-1
Ball 34: Five wides. Not what the Spirit wanted! Gibson looks to put it full and on off, but it's much too wide, meaning everyone is beaten and it runs down to the third man boundary. 38-1
Ball 46: Shot! Fran Wilson hooks away. Munro puts this on a good length, but Wilson is able to maneuvre her feet well and open up the angle and get plenty of bat under it, going over the midwicket fielder and to the rope with the bounce. 50-1
Ball 54: Goes the sweep - missed and stumped! Fran Wilson has to go here. Charlie Dean goes for the tempter, and Wilson obliges by looking to sweep over square. She misses and Tammy Beaumont is quick to react, and although it wasn't the smoothest movement she was able to whip the bails off before Wilson could get something back over the crease. 63-2
Ball 57: That's four more. Heather Knight puts this a little bit shorter and Adams reads the flight perfectly, waiting late and firing over midwicket with the bounce, sailing over the rope. 69-2
Ball 71: Four more! Georgia Adams again. Sophie Munro puts it on a length, but there's bounce and it jumps up to chest height where Adams goes for an excellent pull shot, beating the boundary fielder. 25 off 29 to get the win. 79-2
Ball 76: Pulled to midwicket and four! Freya Davies looks to nip this one back in, but the length allos Adams to shuffle across before tapping it through the leg side. 89-2
Ball 78: Another boundary and now just 10 needed! Marizanne Kapp showing the experience in that shot, as she reads' Davies' slower ball, waiting and then cracking it through backward point. 94-2
Ball 87: And that's that! Kapp finishes it with a wonderful sweep over square. 107-2
Hero of the Match Georgia Adams said: "I didn't really feel like I had to do anything too expansive. Just had to hit the sweepers hard, find those pockets in the ground, and the girls coming in to bat with me made it really easy in the end".
On the London Spirit score, she said: "It was a sticky wicket. It was a bit slow, but they would have probably liked about 120 on there."
On the next game against leaders Southern Brave, she added: "It's a big game. It'll be nice to play back at the Ageas Bowl, which is my home ground for the Southern Vipers, but we'll be bringing the fight to the Brave."
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