Grace Harris finds kind with 87 to energy London Spirit to win over Birmingham Phoenix
London Spirit (Harris 87, Ghosh 29) beat Birmingham Phoenix 99 (Kerr 4-13) by 73 runs
London Spirit rounded off their low-key Women’s Hundred marketing campaign on a excessive with a commanding win as they hammered Birmingham Phoenix by 73 runs at Edgbaston.
Grace Harris‘ belligerent 87 off 47 balls lifted Spirit to 172 for five after they had been put in by a Phoenix aspect already doomed to complete backside of the desk. Harris and Richa Ghosh thrashed 48 in 25 balls to make sure a frightening goal.
Phoenix replied with 99 all out in 76 balls with Amelia Kerr taking 4 for 13 as Spirit ended their staccato marketing campaign with a second win to go alongside 4 defeats and two ‘no outcomes.’ For Phoenix, the drubbing was one ultimate instalment of a nightmare which has seen them lose seven with one washout.
In a gesture which somewhat summed up Phoenix’s accident-prone marketing campaign, the primary scoreboard at Edgbaston went ‘phut’ simply earlier than the beginning of the match and remained clean all through the primary innings. It missed a perky begin from Spirit openers Danielle Gibson and Harris, who added 46 in 20 balls. Gibson struck 4 of the ten balls she confronted for 4 earlier than being yorked by Charis Pavely.
Kerr chipped to mid on and Sophie Luff was effectively held by Issy Wong at deep sq. however Harris superior to a 31-ball half-century, reached together with her tenth 4, a candy sweep which crested the rope in entrance of the dormant scoreboard. The Australian celebrated with successive sixes, off Erin Burns and Sophie Devine, and Ghosh additionally cleared the ropes in a blitz which introduced 19 runs in 4 balls.
Ghosh was run out after a mix-up however Harris continued to bat with energy and objective, including 13 fours to her two sixes earlier than she was run out off the ultimate ball of the innings.
Phoenix wanted one thing spectacular with the bat however misplaced their prime 5 in 45 balls. Devine was fantastically caught by Kerr at deep sq. from the third ball of the innings and Tess Flintoff was bowled, sweeping at Charlie Dean.
Sterre Kalis’ counter-attack of 28 from 16 balls was ended by an lbw determination for Sarah Glenn earlier than Kerr took two large wickets in 5 balls. Amy Jones was caught by Dean at additional cowl and Burns sought six over lengthy on however discovered solely Gibson proper on the rope.
That left Phoenix skipper Eve Jones with 104 to search out from 55 balls and solely the decrease order for firm. Her departure, bowled by a slog at Kerr, solely accelerated the procession and when the ever-present Kerr caught Wong at lengthy on, Spirit had been residence and dry and left to ponder what might need been if that they had produced performances of this energy earlier within the event.