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Ffion Wynne
Â鶹Éç Sport cricket writer

Defending champions Oval Invincibles leapfrogged Southern Brave to the top of the Hundred table to progress straight into the final with a 32-run win over Manchester Originals.

Brave, who were previously unbeaten, surrendered the top spot having lost to Northern Superchargers earlier in the day.

Originals needed to win by a big margin in order to claim the third spot to play in the eliminator, but they struggled to keep up with the Invincibles.

Suzie Bates smashed a sublime 79 not out from just 47 balls as Invincibles racked up 163-2.

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In reply, Originals needed to win inside 73 balls to pip Trent Rockets to third place, which was always going to be a difficult challenge.

Losing Emma Lamb for a duck after just six balls made it even more difficult, with 17-year-old spin sensation Sophia Smale making the big breakthrough.

Smale and Marizanne Kapp took two wickets each as Invincibles continued to dominate and Originals limped to 131-6 from their 100 balls.

Here's what else happened:

• Invincibles' opening partnership of Bates and Lauren Winfield-Hill continued to impress as they added 63 for the first wicket, Winfield-Hill scoring 25
• Marizanne Kapp finished 36 not out from just 22 balls to propel Invincibles to their match-winning total
• Emma Lamb and Sophie Ecclestone were the only Originals bowlers to take a wicket

• Lizelle Lee smashed 64 from 41 balls but struggled to find a consistent partner at the other end as Originals' middle order all fell for single-figure scores

What's next?

• Oval Invincibles will play in the final at Lord's on Saturday 3 September, and will face the winner of Friday's eliminator between Trent Rockets and Southern Brave.

Oval Invincibles bowler Sophia Smale to Â鶹Éç Sport: "I still can't believe I'm here to be honest. Starting off with the academy earlier this year I wasn't even expecting to play so to get a call up for the first game and get wickets is a dream come true.

"It's such a big competition. It is nice to go out there and show what you can do. There was never a doubt in my mind that I wanted to play professional cricket so to do it at such a young age is amazing.

"I played my first game at Lord's the other day and in the final my grandpa will be there and anyone who knows me, knows how much that means to me. It's Lord's, the best cricket ground in the world."

Image source, Getty Images

It's all over. After posting 135-8 the Superchargers have rallied, holding the Brave to 119-9 at Headingley.

Wayne Parnell was the pick of the Superchargers' bowlers, finishing with figures of 4-16.

Read the full report here.

Oval Invincibles all-rounder Marizanne Kapp to Â鶹Éç Sport: "I'm so relieved. I don't know what it is about me and and the Hundred and getting injured! But I am happy for another training session on Friday. The girls were awesome today.

"If you have a good opening stand like we have it sets you up for the game. Our top four have been brilliant this year and that has shown in the results.

"To be honest we weren't at our best today in the field and with the ball, but we set it up beautifully with the bat."

Match hero Suzie Bates on Sky Sports: "We knew it was an important game and when the Brave lost, we knew the benefit was going straight through to the final.

"We did um and ah about the toss because we've done so well bowling first this year but it was just a gut feel that we wanted to bat first and get a good score on the board. Thankfully, we did that and our bowlers did a job.

"We were a bit sloppy in the field but hopefully we'll fix that before the next game.

On Dane van Niekerk: "It's really unfortunate for the [overseas] player that misses out. But any time we've picked someone this season, they've performed and the support staff have backed me. We just want to win as a group."

On form with the bat: "I felt with my shoulder injury and Covid, I had two years where I was sat around twiddling my thumbs and realised how much I missed the game and loved the game. I just don't want to give up too soon. The mind is still there and the body is still strong."

Brilliant bowling from Wayne Parnell who gets James Fuller with a yorker.

Parnell finishes with figures of 4-17 and the Brave are in all sorts of trouble needing 21 off five.

After all teams have played their six matches, the table looks like this. Ultimately, net run-rate is the deciding factor for direct route to the final and the eliminator, and the difference between third and fourth.

Image source, Â鶹Éç Sport

Southern Brave need 26 runs to win off the final 10 deliveries.

The Northern Superchargers have bowled well at the death so far with David Wiese particularly impressive. Can they see this one out in front of their home support?

James Anderson
England bowler on Â鶹Éç Two

A really clinical performance by Oval Invincibles.

Oval Invincibles win by 32 runspublished at 17:31 British Summer Time 31 August 2022

17:31 BST 31 August 2022

Ellie Threlkeld smacks the final ball down the ground but it is only good enough for a single.

Manchester Originals can only post 131-6 which means Oval Invincibles win by 32 runs and are through to the Hundred final!

Huge wicket at Headingley as Harry Brook catches Rehan Ahmed who falls for 33 off the bowling of Wayne Parnell.

With 32 runs needed off 17, you feel the Northern Superchargers have this one in the bag.

Image source, Getty Images

There is a hush around Old Trafford with the crowd resigned to the Originals' fate.

Ellie Threlkeld gets two with a heave wide of mid-on.

That's tidy stuff from Mady Villiers as her latest set goes for just five runs to all but confirm the Invincibles' victory.

Villiers will continue for the final five.

Four more! This time from Ami Campbell as plays a front-foot cut that flies over the fielder in the off-side and away over the rope.

They then run two off the last ball from Shabnim Ismail to move to 121-6. Originals need 43 runs from the final 10 balls.

Difficult, but not impossible.

The party tricks are coming out from Ellie Threlkeld! She plays a lovely pre-meditated ramp shot to lift the ball over the wicketkeeper's head for four.

Oval Invincibles' Emily Windsor on the player mic speaking about the Lee wicket: "Thankfully I had my sunglasses on! That was flat and straight and somehow I kept my eyes open. I don't know how.

"I knew it was an important one as well and those are the ones you don't want to drop.

"It's really important to finish the game cleanly. We want to keep that positivity and the momentum."

That's a good shot from Ami Campbell as she dances down the track to turn a Sophia Smale delivery into a full toss and smacks the ball through mid-on or four.

A missed stumping next ball! Campbell skips down the wicket again and this time misses the ball completely, but Lauren Winfield-Hill behind the stumps cannot whip off the bails.

It's all to play for at Headingley.

With 30 balls to go Southern Brave need another 46 runs to win. Northern Superchargers need four more wickets,

Rehan Ahmed is looking good on 29 off 24, hoping to lead the Brave over the line.

Image source, Getty Images

Isa Guha
Former England bowler on Â鶹Éç Two

Finally the wicket the Invincibles wanted! A fabulous innings from Lee.