Lauren Winfield-Hill's brilliant half-century guided the Oval Invincibles to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over London Spirit in The Hundred women's competition at The Oval.
Chasing a target of 121, the Invincibles secured the win with nine balls remaining, thanks to an unbeaten 61 from Winfield-Hill, who faced just 40 deliveries. Her innings, which included 10 boundaries, culminated in a match-winning partnership of 51 runs with Marizanne Kapp, who contributed a quick-fire 30 off 18 balls.
This victory brings the Invincibles level on points with the top-placed Welsh Fire, keeping their hopes alive for direct qualification to next Sunday's final at Lord's.
London Spirit, who had struggled at 47-7, were only able to post 120-8, largely due to Deepti Sharma's resilient 46 not out from 30 balls. Her efforts salvaged the innings and prevented the Invincibles from winning by a margin that could have boosted their net run-rate enough to take the top spot.
As things stand, the Invincibles head into their final group match against Trent Rockets on Wednesday, knowing that a win would secure them a place in the top three. However, the outcome of the Welsh Fire’s game against Southern Brave earlier that day will determine what the Invincibles need to do to claim first place.
On the other hand, London Spirit, currently two points behind in fourth place, must secure a victory against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday to keep their top-three hopes alive.
The Invincibles' triumph also confirms the elimination of Manchester Originals from the competition. Notable moments from the match include former Australia captain Meg Lanning being dismissed lbw by Kapp for a three-ball duck, initiating Spirit’s early collapse. England captain Heather Knight was caught and bowled by Amanda-Jade Wellington for just 8, leaving Spirit reeling at 37-5 after 42 balls. Wellington's wicket was her ninth in the tournament, placing her joint-third among the leading wicket-takers.
Deepti Sharma, along with Eva Gray, helped London Spirit recover from their dire position with a 56-run stand, setting a new record for the highest eighth-wicket partnership in The Hundred women's competition.