Kapp stars as Invincibles best Brave to claim Hundred title

Marizanne Kapp starred with the bat and ball as the Oval Invincibles were crowned as the inaugural champions of the Women’s Hundred competition.

The South African top scored with 26 before taking 4-9 to spark a Southern Brave collapse which eventually ended in Anya Shrubsole’s team falling well short of the 121 target set by the Invincibles.

Anya Shrubsole and Lauren Bell opened the bowling for the Brave, the latter bowling a maiden five-ball opening spell.

England international Shrubsole would strike first however, Georgia Adams caught out in the deep by Danni Wyatt for 4.

South African international Dane van Niekerk attempted to ensure her side wouldn’t suffer an early collapse seen during their eliminator with the Birmingham Phoenix yesterday, the Invincibles 21-1 after the 25-ball powerplay was completed.

The partnership of the Invincibles captain and Fran Wilson was setting a base for a solid score, the pair boosting the total to 52 from 50 balls.

Wilson had a reprieve just before the halfway stage of the innings when dropped by Sophia Dunkley in the deep off Fi Morris, the Brave searching for a wicket to break the partnership.

The wicket did arrive after 61 balls as Wilson’s slog sweep could only find Wyatt in the deep, who held on for an important catch. Her captain then followed in the next spell of five when caught off Bell, van Niekerk displaying her frustration at the shot by punching her bat as she walked off.

Marizanne Kapp and Alice Capsey had shared a 54-run partnership in yesterday’s elimanator with the pair now tasked with getting the Invincibles to a competitive score.

As the rain began to arrive at Lord’s, the batters began to loosen their arms perhaps concerned about any potential stoppage. Bell would break the parternship at a crucial time, Capsey bowled for 18 after being expertly deceived by a slower ball from the seamer.

The Invincibles would bring up their 100 after 88 balls, Mady Villiers finding the boundary with her first two balls before Kapp also fired back-to-back boundaries off Norris.

The South African failed to make it a hat-trick of boundaries, presenting a simple chance to Amanda-Jade Wellington off Norris to fall for an eye-catching 26 from 14 balls.

Brave captain Anya Shrubsole came back on to bowl an economic final five, claiming the wicket of Villiers with the final ball of the innings as the Invincibles finished on 121 for 6.

The Invincibles innings would’ve started with one gameplan, ‘get Wyatt out early’, and Kapp delivered the early blow when the England international edged behind after four balls of the innings.

Another England player arrived at the crease in Sophia Dunkley but her stay was short lived when edging Kapp to slip where compatriot van Niekerk told a simple catch.

A third Southern Brave batter would fall by the end of Kapp’s opening ten-ball spell when Gaby Lewis was caught to leave the score at 2-3.

The powerplay finished with the Brave 11-3 and in desperate need of a partnership, West Indies international Stefanie Taylor at the crease and needing to produce for her side.

In the next five balls after the powerplay, the Brave lost Maia Boucher run out after a risky single and Wellington caught simply at mid-wicket to leave them 11-5 and the match surely beyond their grasp.

The collapse continued as Shrubsole departed to a brilliant catch from Kapp off Capsey’s first delivery, the pair combining again for the Invincibles.

Taylor had remained at the crease as these wickets fell after her, any slim chances of a fightback resting on her shoulders. As the halfway point of the innings arrived, the Southern Brave required 101 from their remaining 50 deliveries.

Invincibles captain van Niekerk would claim the prized wicket of Taylor in her next spell when stumped by Sarah Bryce for 18, the required runs still sitting at 93 from 43.

17,116 had packed into Lord’s to watch the women’s final, a new domestic record for women’s cricket.

Fi Morris attempted to excite any Southern Brave amongst the crowd when attacking a Capsey over, the required rate failing to appear any less daunting however.

Tara Norris supported Morris but fell to Capsey with 15 balls to go, 60 runs still required and the engraver starting to put the Invincibles name on the Hundred trophy.

Morris was run out the very next ball, before Bell was bowled by Kapp in the final five balls of the innings to complete the rout.

The Southern Brave were all out for 73 and the Oval Invincibles had claimed the Hundred title. Dane van Niekerk’s team had brought their momentum from yesterday’s eliminator win into this contest and cruised home to win by 38 runs.

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