Harris blasts Spirit home in Hundred curtain raiser to outfox Invincibles
But this is the English cricketing summer, refusing to give you a minute, packed beyond comprehension. A day after the conclusion of the Test summer, it was time to start the Hundred north of the river with the capital double-header: London Spirit against Oval Invincibles.
This is a stopgap season, the final year before new team owners – including four Indian Premier League franchises – enter with their own ideas of how to make this thing sing. For now, it is the same old tricks: fireworks in the daylight to kick off the new tournament and the awkwardness of the pop-up DJ booth, trying its best to convince those in: cricket is cool, cricket is cool, please kids believe me, cricket is cool.
Away from the gimmicks, there is quality. The Spirit women are the defending champions, with their opponents two-time winners. It was only right that the first ball of the new edition was bowled by Marizanne Kapp, the South Africa all‑rounder who has excelled in every season, orchestrating their final victories on this ground. She bowled 10 on the trot and hooped the last of those into Georgia Redmayne to celebrate the first wicket.
From there it was a game of Australian power. Grace Harris captained Surrey to victory in the Blast last month but is calling Lord's home at the moment. She was brutal against the leggies of Amanda‑Jade Wellington, her compatriot, smashing 89 off 42 balls as the Spirit finished on 176 for five, the second-highest total in the women's Hundred. Cordelia Griffith, whose previous four seasons in the competition had returned a high score of 30 not out, finally had the glory of a half-century.
Then came the Invincibles' Meg Lanning, the former Australia captain playing against the side she represented last year. There was scratchiness in her start, 24 off her first 27 deliveries, costly in a chase requiring immediate impact. But then the strokes flowed. With 47 required off 14 balls, Lanning unleashed on Eva Gray, 20 taken off the next four deliveries, the cut shot a reminder of her days as a giant of the international game. A riveting finish was on until Issy Wong intervened, Lanning restricted to 85, the Spirit victors by 17 runs.
During the break between games, members of the 'Tech Titans' consortium, the incoming co-owners of the Spirit, surveyed the view from the media centre, taking in what they have signed up for. The start by the women's side would have pleased them and there must have been some excitement when Spirit's men walked out to bat. Kane Williamson is their new captain, David Warner is present at the top of the order. The pair no longer reign over the IPL – they won it together at Sunrisers Hyderabad nine years ago – but the Hundred will take star names where it can.
The runs, though, will have to wait another day. Both departed for single-figure scores against the Invincibles, who have won the past two men's competitions. In fact, the two‑figure score was a rarity as the Spirit crumbled, bowled out for just 80 as Rashid Khan and Sam Curran shared six wickets. The former's twirl is a new addition to the Invincibles, a significant flex to call upon the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket as you chase three in a row.
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The lowly target meant there was little thrill under the lights, a thoroughly anti‑climactic conclusion awaiting all; the England and Wales Cricket Board announced an attendance of 26,013 for the men's game.
The crowd's greatest pleasure came from witnessing a fox do a lap of the ground early in the chase. Liam Dawson finding some turn to bowl Tawanda Muyeye did not muster as much excitement. The Invincibles crawled on what was not the easiest surface, yet still got the win with a six down the ground, 31 balls left in the match. But, then again, how do you follow that?
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