Match 29 of The Women’s Hundred 2025 saw London Spirit Women deliver a commanding performance against their city rivals, Oval Invincibles Women, securing an emphatic 8-wicket victory.
The London Spirit won the toss and chose to field first at The Kennington Oval. The Oval Invincibles struggled in their batting innings, managing a modest total of 108 for 8 in their allotted 100 balls. The Invincibles faced strong bowling from the Spirit, especially from captain Charlie Dean and seamer Eva Gray, who each took two crucial wickets, restricting the Invincibles’ scoring opportunities and applying consistent pressure.
Although there was a near-wicket on Meg Lanning early on, a catch was dropped, but the Spirit bowlers maintained disciplined lines throughout the innings, especially in the powerplay overs. Top-order runs from openers Paige Scholfield (22) and Lanning (19), followed by Alice Capsey (11) and Marizanne Kapp (32), was the only highlight of their batting innings, with the middle and lower order departing for single-digit scores.
In response, London Spirit’s chase was anchored by a standout batting display from Kira Chathli, who scored a blistering half-century off just 29 balls, including a towering six. With a composed 42 off 30 balls, Georgia Redmayne provided strong support. Their partnership set a strong foundation for an easy chase, allowing the Spirit to reach 112 for 2 with 38 balls to spare.
This aggressive and controlled batting ensured there was never really any doubt about the outcome. The big win, with 32 balls to spare, significantly boosted the net run rate of the defending champion, London Spirit.
The fielding and bowling unit of London Spirit deserves high praise for the victory. Beyond the key wickets taken by Dean and Gray, the Spirit’s ability to limit runs in critical phases of the innings, including conceding just seven runs in the last 15 balls of the powerplay, demonstrated great tactical acumen and execution. Dean’s exceptional one-handed catch was a highlight, emphasizing the sharpness of the Spirit players out in the field.
This win significantly boosted London Spirit’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages. With this victory, they improved their standings near the top, four points clear of the Manchester Originals. The outcome essentially eliminated the Trent Rockets’ aspirations of making the playoffs; therefore, the Spirit now need to win their remaining games to guarantee a spot.
For the Oval Invincibles, this match proved to be another setback in a season that has seen them struggle to maintain consistency. Five losses out of seven games and this defeat have already eliminated them from the playoff race, but they will look to finish their campaign on a high note and build momentum for future tournaments.
