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Summary

  • Poor Phoenix are bowled out for just 82 in 94 balls

  • Spirit field superbly, pulling off two run outs and Dattani & Monaghan completing a relay catch on the boundary

  • Phoenix reduce Spirit to 26-6 in reply

  • But Dattani (28*) and Scrivens (26*) combine brilliantly to get their side home with three balls to spare

  • Defeat means Phoenix miss out on knockouts; Spirit win only their second game

  • Wednesday's games: Superchargers v Brave women (11:30 BST) & men (15:00); Originals v Invincibles women (15:00) & men (18:30)

  1. Spirit eliminate Phoenix in low-scoring thriller at Lord'spublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Callum Matthews
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Sport cricket writer

    London Spirit won a dramatic low-scoring thriller at Lord's to eliminate Birmingham Phoenix from the women's Hundred.

    Chasing just 83 to win, Spirit fell to 2-3 and 26-6 but Naomi Dattani (28 not out off 29) and Grace Scrivens (26 not out from 30) shared an unbroken 57 from 57 balls as they got over the line with three balls to spare.

    They needed seven from the final set of five balls, but Australia left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux bowled a waist-high no-ball, that Spirit also took two off, to change the scenario to three from five.

    Earlier, Phoenix were bowled out for 82 off 94 balls, with Eve Jones making 24 off 30 balls and Georgia Elwiss 14.

    Spirit bowled and fielded superbly with Megan Schutt, Amelia Kerr and Danielle Gibson all taking two wickets.

    The four-wicket win means that Spirit finish seventh in the table and Phoenix can finish no higher than fourth.

    It leaves Trent Rockets in the box seat to take the third and final play-off spot, but both Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers are able to climb above them with big victories over Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave on Wednesday.

    What else happened?

    • England hopeful Emily Arlott was the pick of the Phoenix bowlers, taking 2-9 from her 20 balls.
    • Phoenix captain Sophie Devine took a brilliant catch on the boundary to remove Gibson, before her direct hit ran out Beth Mooney, to leave Spirit 2-2.
    • A series of misfields in the final few balls, including from Australia legend Ellyse Perry, allowed Spirit to get over the line.
    Women's Hundred table: Brave 10, Invincibles 8, Rockets 6, Phoenix 6, Originals 4, Superchargers 4, Spirit 4, Fire 2Image source, Â鶹ԼÅÄ Sport
  2. Postpublished at 17:52 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    London Spirit's captain Charlie Dean: "We really set the tone with the ball but that's not the way we wanted to complete a chase!

    Naomi Dattani is a great player and showed great composure to get us over the line.

    "It [captaincy] has been a bit tricky, I wouldn't consider myself as a massive leader but I have grown throughout the competition.

    "Grace Scrivens has done brilliantly. She's been amazing and she didn't get the start she wanted with the bat. As weird as her technique might be, it was brilliant for her to be at the end and finish it off for us.

    "The crowd getting behind us is immense. It would've been nice to win comfortably but the crowd really helped."

  3. Postpublished at 17:50 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    'Made it interesting' is one way of putting it!

    Sophie Devine produces two moments of brilliance in the field to spoil Spirit's party.

    Emily Arlott was quite sensational with the ball, taking two wickets for just nine runs from her 20 balls.

    But Dattani's 28 not out and Scrivens' 26 not out steered Spirit home - eventually!

  4. Postpublished at 17:47 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Match Hero and London Spirit all-rounder Naomi Dattani: "Unbelievable. As a fielding and bowling unit we set it up nicely. We made it a little bit interesting but we got over the line that's all that counts.

    "Me and Scriv [Grace Scrivens] have batted a lot together so we just backed our strengths and took it as deep as we could. We were calm on the outside but there were definitely some nerves underneath."

  5. Postpublished at 17:44 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    The batting hasn't been great today to say the least but that is largely in part to just how good the bowling and fielding has been.

    London Spirit started it in style.

  6. Postpublished at 17:42 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    So what does that mean for the table?

    Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles are already through to the knockouts, but it's a battle for third place.

    London Spirit were out before the game started but Birmingham Phoenix needed a win to make it through.

    They didn't manage that, so Trent Rockets stay in third place but can still be pipped by Manchester Originals or Northern Superchargers, who both play tomorrow. You can check out the women's table here.

  7. Postpublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Wow. That was utterly bonkers.

    London Spirit bowled and fielded beautifully to bowl Birmingham Phoenix out for just 83.

    But Spirit themselves slumped to 26-6 in reply before Naomi Dattani and 18-year-old Grace Scrivens came together and added a calm, steady partnership of 57 from 57 balls to see their side home with just three balls to spare.

    Who thought it would get that close?!

  8. Postpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Henry Moeran
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio

    Disaster for the Phoenix who collectively slump to the ground!

  9. LONDON SPIRIT WINpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Grace Scrivens scampers two runs and that concludes Birmingham Phoenix's Hundred campaign!

    In a low-scoring thriller, London Spirit get just their second win of the competition.

    What a game!

  10. Postpublished at 17:35 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Abhishek Jhunjhunwala
    Former IPL batter on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio

    Now it's London Spirit's game, they will have to do something very special to lose now.

  11. Spirit 81-6published at 4 balls left

    Need 2 runs to win

    No. Dattani survives.

    Just two needed now.

  12. Umpire reviewpublished at 4 balls left

    Surely not? A run out off the free hit?

  13. Postpublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Henry Moeran
    Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio

    That is as bad as it could've been for the Birmingham Phoenix.

  14. Spirit 80-6published at 5 balls left

    Need 3 runs to win

    Oh, nightmare for Molineux!

    No-ball, it's a free hit and they run two!

  15. Postpublished at 17:34 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Sophie Molineux has got five balls to defend seven runs...

    Naomi Dattani has 26, and Grace Scrivens 24. It has been a brilliant partnership so far, but has it been match-winning?

  16. Spirit 76-6published at 5 balls left

    Need 7 runs to win

    Two!

    Smashed by Dattani out to the boundary, who runs the first run rapidly to make it back safely.

    Last five balls now. It's tense.

  17. Postpublished at 17:32 British Summer Time 30 August 2022

    Alex Hartley
    Former England bowler on Â鶹ԼÅÄ Radio

    It's a good game of cricket but a bad game.

  18. Spirit 74-6published at 6 balls left

    Need 9 runs to win

    Another single for Scrivens.

  19. Spirit 73-6published at 7 balls left

    Need 10 runs to win

    Scrivens goes for a reverse sweep or pull shot, but misses!

    A valuable dot ball for Phoenix.

  20. Spirit 73-6published at 8 balls left

    Need 10 runs to win

    A fumble by Georgia Elwiss allows a single.

    Another single follows.