Oval Invincibles vs Birmingham Phoenix at the Kia Oval on 23 July 2024
Invincibles made a ‘perfect start’ to their campaign for a third title, playing before their home crowd of 10,000. Last year they finished fifth. Bowling for Invincibles for the first time, Australian World Cup medallist Amanda-Jade Wellington (pictured) bowled a 3-fer (3/9) and remains top of the all-time leading wicket-takers board, now with 38 wickets from 24 matches played.
After the match, Amanda-Jade Wellington said she enjoyed ‘travelling the world’ and disclosed (to astonished commentators) that when bowling, she uses the ‘full depth of her crease.’ By comparison, Marizanne Kapp closed in fifth place on 27 wickets from 17 matches; and Katie Levick remains seventh (at time of writing.)
Turning to batting, Paige Scholfield received POTM ‘Meerkat match hero’ cap-and-medal for scoring a match-winning 71 runs (from 40 balls); also making the third-highest ever individual score for Invincibles. Newly promoted to skipper, Lauren Winfield-Hill added that Invincibles ‘almost made a complete performance,’ as they ’took wickets throughout the match.’ Phoenix as visitors faced ‘real problems’ from dropped catches and slumped to their eleventh consecutive defeat.
Introduced by Nick ‘Knighty’ Knight (broadcaster & former England international) with Alison ‘Lis’ Mitchell (broadcaster – The Scoop Cricket Podcast & former England international) & Nasser Hussain OBE ‘(broadcaster & former England international) who lauded Invincibles for their fielding. Also with Eoin Morgan (former England international) pitch-side; and Dinesh Karthik (former India international.) Commentators mentioned ‘good pitch’ and ‘good weather,’ rain-free.
*Invincibles’ innings: *skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill, with international players Grace Harris & Amanda-Jade Wellington (Australia); Also Marizanne Kapp (Rep. South Africa); *Without Chamari Athapathatu (Sri Lanka Call-up); *[Amy Jones keeping wicket for Phoenix] *Play was paused for ten minuted on 11/0 after Sterre Kalis slipped on a muddy surface, sawdust made little difference and an artificial surface was rolled-out and anchored pitch-side; said to be for player’s safety. *‘Playing down the wrong line,’ Lauren Winfield-Hill was bowled by Katie Levick; *At mid-way (50 balls) 67/1; *Top-scorer Paige Scholfield was caught ‘in-the-deep’ at ‘long-on’ by Ellyse Perry from Hannah Baker; *Marizanne Kapp was caught at ‘extra cover’ by Charis Pavely over her shoulder,’ from Emily Arlott; *Next ball, Laura Harris was cursed by commentators for liking ‘to hit a big ball,’ immediately caught by Suzie Bates from Emily Arlott, for a golden duck; *Four balls later, Alice Capsey who’d scored ‘fifty,’ was ‘run out’ by Elysse Perry’s throw from ‘long-on’ to Amy Jones, with three balls remaining;
*Invincibles’ batting: Paige Scholfield 71(40), Alice Capsey 52(40), Lauren Winfield-Hill 12(10); *Phoenix’s bowling: Emily Arlott 2/19; Katie Levick 1/16, Hannah Baker 1/29;
Phoenix’s innings: *skipper Ellyse Perry (Australia), with other international players Sterre Kalis (NL), Suzie Bates & Sophie Devine (New Zealand); *[Lauren Winfield-Hill keeping wicket for Invincibles] *Drama struck second-ball when Marizanne Kapp had to apologise for throwing the ball ‘inappropriately,’ at Suzie Bates ‘midriff,’ causing Umpires to award five penalty points for dangerous play, credited to Phoenix;’ *Missing an ‘ambitious swing’, Suzie Bates was ‘superbly’ bowled by Marizanne Kapp’s ‘away-swing,’ that ‘dismantled’ her leg-stump; *Ellyse Perry ‘square-cut’ to ‘cover’ where Alice Capsey made a ‘diving stop,’ threw to keeper and was ‘run out’ by Lauren Winfield-Hill; *Two balls later, Sterre Kalis was bowled by Ryana MacDonald-Gay’s first ball, the ’nip-backer;’ *At mid-way (50 balls) 64/3 (vs 67/1); *Sophie Devine was caught-and-bowled by Sophia Smale’s sixth delivery, coming round-the-wicket; *Disaster struck when three wickets fell for three runs; *Firstly Amy Jones was caught at ‘mid-off’ by Ryana MacDonald-Gay ‘who did well, not to spill the catch’, from Amanda-Jade Wellington; *Two balls later, Seren Smale was stumped by Lauren Winfield-Hill, from Amanda-Jade Wellington; *Three balls later Issy Wong was caught at long-off’ by Alice Capsey from Mady Villiers; *With the required-run-rate topping two-runs-per-ball, Charis Pavely was bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington; *Non-striker Emily Arlott was ‘run out’ by Sophia Smale with ‘huge confusion’ resolved by Umpires deciding there was no run. *Hannah Baker was called back as ‘neither batter got halfway;’ *Finally, Katie Levick was stumped by Lauren Winfield-Hill, from Mady Villiers;
*Phoenix’s batting: Amy Jones 21(15), Sterre Kalis 17(12), Sophie Devine (10), Seren Smale 13(12); *Invincibles’ bowling: Amanda-Jade Wellington 3/9, Mady Villiers 2/17, Ryana MacDonald-Gay 1/11, Marizanne Kapp 1/21, Sophia Smale 1/24;
Match result: Oval Invincibles 150/5 (@1.5 runs-per-ball from 100/100 balls) beat Birmingham Phoenix 105 all out (@1.1 r-p-b from 92/100 balls), by 45 runs with eight balls remaining
Match courtesy of SKY Sports Cricket free-to-air via YouTube [03h42m29s] @url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWwchDbc3k
Fixtures @url https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/3801564/the-hundred-2024-fixtures
