Oval Invincibles Women retain Hundred title
The Invincibles beat Southern Brave by five wickets with six balls to spare thanks to player of the match Kapp’s 37 not out in 33 deliveries – though not before she had taken 1-19 to help restrict Brave to 101-7 after the Invincibles lost the toss.
“It has been an amazing journey and a credit to each and every member of my team,” said Kapp. ”You are always nervous in a final, but luckily we got over the line.
“Credit goes to Emily for her knock at the end. I was literally just praying before every delivery. I absolutely love the tournament and the crowd was amazing.”
Invincibles’ skipper Suzie Bates added: “Our bowling group did an outstanding job to keep them to that score, but it got pretty tense there.
“It was always going to be a nervy chase, but we held our nerve and it’s brilliant to have young players perform.
“The way Marizanne batted under pressure was just awesome. She’s one of the established all-rounders in the world and showed why – she turns up for those tough moments.
“All the South Africans are tough. They compete and really fight. With them and a squad of young talented players, we had a really nice balance.”
The Oval Invincibles lost just one match en route to their second Hundred title in as many years, with Bates (232 runs at an average of 38.66) and Lauren Winfield-Hill (219 at 54.75) supplying the runs and Alice Capsey, Eva Gray and Sophia Smale bagging eight wickets apiece.
The former Surrey wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty, who is the Invincibles’ head coach, tweeted: “An incredible end to a brilliant month with an exceptional group of people!
“I’m so proud of every person in this group, who all worked tirelessly to retain the title. The Hundred has well and truly delivered again this year. More amazing memories to be cherished.”
Indeed, while the men’s hundred continues to draw criticism, the women’s competition saw attendances increase by a third, with the number of families attending up by 14 per cent.
Photo: PA