Spirit crush Invincibles to stay in Hundred knockout hunt

London Spirit kept their hopes of reaching the knockout phase of The Hundred alive with a dominant eight-wicket victory over Oval Invincibles at The Kia Oval, Sport360NG reports.

A disciplined bowling display set the tone for Spirit, with captain Charlie Dean and seamer Eva Gray both starring, each claiming 2-12. The hosts, already out of contention, struggled to 108-8 from their 100 balls, with Marizanne Kapp’s 32 from 25 deliveries the only innings of substance.

Chasing a modest target, Spirit made light work of the reply. Kira Chathli, who went unsold in the draft but has become one of the competition’s surprise standouts, smashed a 26-ball half-century, finishing with 53 off 29 balls. Georgia Redmayne provided strong support with 42 from 30. Though both fell with victory in sight, Charli Knott completed the job comfortably, with 38 balls remaining.

The win lifts Spirit four points clear of Manchester Originals in fourth place, while also eliminating Trent Rockets from contention. Their fate, however, is not fully secure, they must now hope the Originals are beaten by Northern Superchargers on Tuesday, or else progression to the eliminator will come down to net run rate.

Earlier, Spirit’s bowlers showed great discipline against a threatening Invincibles top order. Kate Coppack, making her debut, nearly struck with her first delivery when Meg Lanning edged behind, but wicketkeeper Redmayne couldn’t hold on. Undeterred, the attack continued to apply pressure, restricting the Invincibles to just 30 runs in the powerplay.

Dean removed Lanning before Gray dismissed Alice Capsey to halt any momentum, while sharp fielding, highlighted by Dean’s brilliant one-handed catch, ensured the Invincibles never gained control.

With the bowlers setting up the win, Spirit’s batters ensured there were no slip-ups in a near-flawless performance that reignites their campaign.

Up next: Manchester Originals face Northern Superchargers at Headingley on Tuesday, with both matches live on BBC Two and iPlayer from 14:45 BST, and ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and the BBC Sport website.