Report: Birmingham Phoenix Women v London Spirit

London Spirit rounded off their low-key Women’s Hundred campaign on a high with a commanding win as they hammered Birmingham Phoenix by 73 runs at Edgbaston.

Grace Harris’ belligerent 87 (47 balls) lifted Spirit to 172 for five after they were put in by a Phoenix side already doomed to finish bottom of the table. Harris and Richa Ghosh (29, 17 balls) thrashed 48 in 25 balls to ensure a daunting target.

Phoenix replied with 99 all out in 76 balls (Amelia Kerr four for 13) as Spirit ended their staccato campaign with a second win to go alongside four defeats and two ‘no results.’ For Phoenix, the drubbing was one final instalment of a nightmare which has seen them lose seven with one washout. 

In a gesture which rather summed up Phoenix’s accident-prone campaign, the main scoreboard at Edgbaston went ‘phut’ just before the start of the match and remained blank throughout the first innings. It missed a perky start from Spirit openers Danielle Gibson and Harris who added 46 in 20 balls. Gibson struck four of the ten balls she faced for four before being yorked by Charis Pavely.

Kerr chipped to mid on and Sophie Luff was well-held by Issy Wong at deep square but Harris advanced to a 31-ball half-century, reached with her tenth four, a sweet sweep which crested the rope in front of the dormant scoreboard. The Australian celebrated with successive sixes, off Erin Burns and Sophie Devine, and Ghosh also cleared the ropes in a blitz which brought 19 runs in four balls.

Ghosh was run out after a mix-up but Harris continued to bat with power and purpose, adding 13 fours to her two sixes before she was run out off the final ball of the innings. 

Phoenix needed something spectacular with the bat but lost their top five in 45 balls. Devine was superbly caught by Kerr at deep square from the third ball of the innings and Tess Flintoff was bowled, sweeping at Charlie Dean. 

Sterre Kalis’ counter-attack (28, 16 balls) was ended by an lbw decision for Sarah Glenn before Kerr took two big wickets in five balls. Amy Jones was caught by Dean at extra cover and Burns sought six over long on but found only Gibson right on the rope.

That left Phoenix skipper Eve Jones with 104 to find from 55 balls and only the lower order for company. Her departure, bowled through a slog at Kerr, only accelerated the procession and when the ubiquitous Kerr caught Wong at long on, Spirit were home and dry and left to ponder what might have been if they had produced performances of this power earlier in the tournament.