Invincibles through to eliminator as nervy win knocks Rockets out
Marizanne Kapp stars with bat and ball once again on slow, low pitch
ECB Media
14-Aug-2024
Marizanne Kapp took the Invincibles through to the knockouts • Nathan Stirk/ECB via Getty Images
Oval Invincibles 92 for 5 (Kapp 26*, Scholfield 26) beat Trent Rockets 91 for 8 (Gardner 43, Kapp 3-8) by five wickets
Oval Invincibles came out on top by five wickets in a tense match on a slow, low wicket at Trent Bridge to earn the right to face London Spirit in the Hundred eliminator at The Oval on Saturday.
South African allrounder Marizanne Kapp starred with both ball and bat, taking 3 for 8 from her 20 balls and scoring an unbeaten 26 to guide the Invincibles home.
"I'm just happy to get over the line today," Kapp said. "I've been in that situation a lot of times for all the franchises I've played for around the world, so it helps a lot. I can't think about [the eliminator] at the moment: today was too stressful. But I'm happy to go through."
Chasing 92 to win, the Invincibles started the chase positively, Sri Lanka's Chamari Athapaththu striking three early boundaries before falling caught at long-off to the offspin of Ashleigh Gardner for 16.
Captain Lauren Winfield-Hill went lbw to Heather Graham to see the Invincibles 33 for 2 and they were 33 for 3 one ball later when Alana King bowled Alice Capsey with a beautiful legbreak.
At halfway, the Invincibles were 45 for 3, Paige Scholfield looking industrious against the turning ball with her side still requiring 47.
With the rate required hovering around a run a ball, Kapp launched a counter-attack, striking Graham for two boundaries to relieve some pressure before Scholfield hit back-to-back fours off Nat Sciver-Brunt to take the equation to 22 required from 30.
Scholfield fell for 26 with eight still required, and Mady Villiers (1) went with seven needed, but Kapp remained cool to see the London side home with six balls to spare.
Kapp's skill bookended the match. She bowled the first 10 balls of the innings and was well rewarded, striking twice to remove Grace Scrivens for a duck and then having Bryony Smith (1) spectacularly caught by a flying Villiers two balls later.
Trent Rockets then found themselves in even more trouble at 3 for 3 after 13 balls when a back-of-a-length delivery from Rachel Slater kept low and claimed the big wicket of Sciver-Brunt, also for a duck.
Gardner's 43 kept Rockets in the game, but after her dismissal their innings fizzled out to end 91 for 8 - a total that Kapp was able to overhaul to ensure passage to the last three for Oval Invincibles.