Women’s Hundred 2024, LS-W vs OI-W 15th Match Match Report, August 04, 2024

London Spirit 113 for 9 (Deepti 44, Kapp 4-11) tied with Oval Invincibles 113 for 8 (Kapp 47, Deepti 3-18)

Oval Invincibles and London Spirit tied a last-ball thriller in front of a lively crowd of 17,810 at Lord’s in the Hundred. An ice-cold Charlie Dean run-out as Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Jo Gardner sought a match-winning two from the final ball denied the visitors what had not long before looked to be a comfortable victory.

“It was good up until I got out: it cost us the game so I’m very disappointed,” Kapp said. “The plan was to stay in there and take it as deep as possible. We knew they were going to bowl their best bowlers, so I was just trying to knock it around.”

Oval Invincibles captain Lauren Winfield-Hill’s decision to bowl first was immediately vindicated when Kapp bowled Meg Lanning fourth ball. Cordelia Griffith and Georgia Redmayne responded well, but Kapp then bowled both batters either side of the Powerplay restrictions lifting.

MacDonald-Gay continued the Invincibles’ momentum, bowling Dani Gibson before Kapp struck again with the final ball of her spell, cleaning up Heather Knight for her fourth clean-bowled dismissal of the innings.

Deepti led the recovery, striking a well-paced 44 from 34. She was ably supported by Dean and Eva Gray, enabling the Spirit to reach a total of 113 for 9 despite a flurry of late wickets, including two in two from Sophia Smale.

In response, Spirit had both openers out early. Chamari Athapaththu was caught off the bowling of Tara Norris, and Eva Gray had Winfield-Hill stumped thanks to the quick hands of Redmayne, who kept wicket impressively throughout.

Kapp then led the Invincibles’ charge, smashing a sweep-heavy 47 from 32. She and Alice Capsey (31 from 19) put on an imposing 55-run partnership before Deepti bowled the latter.

Dean grabbed a stunning catch off the bowling of Deepti soon after to remove Paige Scholfield and the Invincibles chase became trickier as the England offspinner then bowled Mady Villiers, and Sarah Glenn smartly ran Amanda-Jade Wellington out, leaving the visitors six wickets down needing 32 from 32.

Following an assured partnership with Gardner, Kapp was bowled by Deepti with just four runs required from eight. MacDonald-Gay and Gardner were just unable to see their side home as Gibson held her nerve with the ball and Dean found Redmayne with a good throw from the deep to leave MacDonald-Gay well short of her ground looking for the two runs they needed from the final ball.