The Hundred: Heather Knight leads London Spirit to victory over Oval Invincibles to book final spot

Heather Knight and Georgia Redmayne led London Spirit to an eight-wicket victory over the Oval Invincibles in a thrilling knockout at the Kia Oval to secure a place in The Hundred final.

English pair Charlie Dean (3-24) and Sarah Glenn (2-15) were the Spirit’s stars with the ball, making an immediate impact after winning the toss and electing to bowl.

Dean trapped opener Paige Scholfield (5) lbw while Glenn took a wicket with the third ball of her first over to dismiss Lauren Winfield-Hill (17) and break the 21-run opening partnership.

Eva Gray (2-13) and Danielle Gibson (2-38) took two wickets apiece, starting a lower-order collapse that saw the Invincibles lose four wickets in eight balls, posting a knock-under par 113-9.

Needing 114 for victory, Spirit’s Meg Lanning (22) made a blistering start in reply before being replaced by Marizanne Kapp (19), but the Invincibles struggled to break the third-wicket partnership between Knight (36no) and Redmayne (53no).

Knight was dropped twice in her 23-ball outing as the hosts struggled to break a well-crafted 74-run partnership. With Spirit needing seven from 15 balls, the England captain knocked Capsey over to backward point for four before Redmayne pushed Alice Capsey (0-8) through covers for another boundary to reach a 47-ball fifty, her second of the tournament, and secure Spirit’s place in the final at Lord’s on Sunday – live on Vscek.

Dean and Glenn shine for Spirit

Dean and Glenn scored early to spoil the Invincibles’ 37-2 start, but Capsey (30) and Kapp (26) helped their team rebuild with a 45-point performance to lift them to 82-3.

The two fell in quick succession as Capsey toed Gibson’s slow, wide leg-cutter past Redmayne before Kapp dragged Glenn deep where Lanning received the ball to dismiss both batsmen in the space of four balls.

Gibson struck again to disrupt the Invincibles’ midfield, removing Amanda-Jade Wellington (8) who threw the fast bowler towards deep back square but found Lanning to leave the Invincibles 92-5.

Dean took two wickets in the penultimate set to start a lower-order collapse that saw Mady Villiers (3) caught on the leg side by a stunning Gibson catch and Laura Harris (16) also picking the England all-rounder at deep mid-wicket.

Gray (2-13) scored twice in the final set, eliminating Ryana MacDonald-Gay (0) for a golden duck to leave the Invincibles struggling at 110-8 and sending Sophia Smale (1) out on the final point.

Victorious spirit in tense response

Lanning (22) got off to a blistering start in the chase, hitting four boundaries in his 16-ball outing, but edged past Kapp behind Invincibles captain Winfield-Hill.

Cordelia Griffith (1) was sent off cheaply after charging down the pitch but was beaten in turn and on the bounce, with Winfield-Hill clearing the bails.

Knight and Redmayne then shared their vital third-wicket partnership, forcing their team to score 30 runs from 30 balls, but the Invincibles dismissed the Spirits captain twice, first on 13 and then on 27.

The Spirit duo kept their cool as they led their team to victory in style, hitting Capsey for two boundaries in the final set, with the former batsman hitting a stunning half-century.

Redymane savours the Lord’s final

Player of the match, Georgia Redmayne (53no from 47 balls, 6×4):

“We arrived in a really good mood.

“The Oval have probably got the better of us in the games we’ve played, but we knew that if we did the simple things right – bowled in good areas and kept a score we could chase – we had the team to win.”

“A Lord’s College final at home will be incredible.”

What will happen now?

Spirit of London Encounter Welsh Fire in the women’s final on Sunday at Lord’s, live on Vscek Cricket from 1.45pm.

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