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A month after staging Opening Night of the Hundred, The Oval again plays host to Friday's Eliminator between teams that finished second and third in the group stages and the rights to face the Southern Braves in Saturday's final. playing for.
While debate has raged on the English game about its benefits or otherwise, there has been widespread agreement that the women's competition has been a clear success: attendance has exceeded expectations, quality has been generally high, players have welcomed the opportunity to play on larger grounds and the home crowd has been vocal in support of their new teams.
So it's a happy coincidence that the Eliminator includes Oval Invincible. They have had an up-and-down season, battling injuries to two of their three South African overseas players in the Marijne Cup and Shabnim Ismail, but their top-quality bowling attack has paved the way for them and their home players to stand. Has happened. important moment.
Captain Dane van Niekerk has the luxury of being able to share all 100 balls of an innings among international players - 60 cups between Ismail and himself, and 40 between England's Tash Farrant and Maddie Villiers - but to good effect. Alice Capsi's Offbreak for , and occasionally turned to Grace Gibbs's medium tempo.
Their batting lineup isn't very high, with Fran Wilson falling short of runs at No 3, but Van Nierkerk has found some flow since the reshuffle for the opening. They are reaching the final after a crushing defeat against the Southern Braves, in which they were dismissed for 85 while chasing 116; They can't stand a hangover.
Birmingham Phoenix, their opponents, looked dead and buried in the half-stage of the season after four losses in their first five games, but dodged the blindside to make the knockouts thanks to three victories on spin - including a tiger defence. Also included is his impressive quarterfinal 147 against the Northern Superchargers on Tuesday, when they demolished the middle order.
They will face off on Friday without Shafali Verma, who has returned to India ahead of the Australia tour. It's a huge loss, but Verma didn't have the impact on hundreds that many had hoped; His opening partner Eve Jones is in better form and is entering the knockout stage. Phoenix has been involved in a number of high-scoring games, but the Oval's big square boundaries could be well suited for him on Friday, with two of his Scottish spinners, Christy Gordon and Abta Maqsood, slated for lead roles.
in the headlines
Seventeen-year-old Ellis Capsi has been one of the breakout stars of the Hundred and has impressed with both bat and ball for the unbeaten. She is their third highest run-scorer and second-highest wicket-taker, hitting the ball vigorously over cover and firing flat offbreak to good effect. There are already talks about whether it is too early for him to be included in the England squad and while he can certainly wait, he has another chance to prove himself on the big stage, having won his first at Lord's. He scored 59 runs in 40 balls in the London derby. in the competition.
Amy Jones hasn't kicked off a match-winning score in the hundred - her highest is 42 not out - but her positivity in the middle order has been a key part of her success with the bat. He has the second highest strike rate in the competition (160.22) among batsmen with 100+ runs and has improved significantly against spin in the last 18 months since moving down the order in the T20I side of England.
Team news
The invincible has suffered without Cup and Ismail at various stages due to injuries but is expected to be in full force on Friday and likely to maintain faith with the side that helped him finish second.
Invincibles (likely): 1 Georgia Adams, 2 Dan van Niekerk (c), 3 Fran Wilson, 4 Marijne Cup, 5 Ellis Capsi, 6 Maddie Villiers, 7 Joe Gardner, 8 Grace Gibbs, 9 Sarah Bryce (wk), 10 Tash Farrant, 11 Shabneem Ismail
Phoenix has the undeserved task of replacing Verma, but Jones backs up the depths of his squad to help cover his absence. With Mary Kelly coming up the middle order, she is likely to be one of the two Australian players to move up to the opening. Georgia Elvis missed her last game with a left thumb injury and Phoenix said on Thursday she "hopes" she will be fit to play.
Phoenix (possible): 1 Eve Jones, 2 Katie Mack, 3 Amy Jones (c/w), 4 Mary Kelly, 5 Erin Burns, 6 Gwynne Davis, 7 Georgia Elvis/Phoebe Franklin, 8 Emily Arlott, 9 Issie Wong, 10 Kirsty Gordon, 11 Abtaha Maqsood
Stats and trivia
- Tash Farrant needs two wickets to clear Trent Rockets' Sammy-Jo Johnson as the women's competition's leading wicket-taker.
- The combined attendance so far in the three women's fixtures at The Oval is 29,181
- Shabnam Ismail has bowled the fastest women's ball ever against Southern Brave at 78mph/126kph.