OVAL Invincibles won the women’s Hundred for the second year in a row with another victory over Southern Brave at Lord’s.
In a repeat of last year’s final, the Invincibles expertly restricted the Brave to 101-7 with a fine all-round bowling performance.

South Africa international Shabnim Ismail and 18-year-old England star Alice Capsey took two wickets each while 17-year-old spinner Sophia Smale also dismissed Sophia Dunkley for 26 – the highest score from Brave’s fearsome batting order.

(Scores: Oval Invincibles 105 for 5 (Kapp 37*) beat Southern Brave 101 for 7 (Dunkley 26: Ismail 2-12) by five wickets)
The Invincibles’ run-chase became increasingly tense, in front of a record crowd for a women’s domestic match of 20 840, but Marizanne Kapp steered the Invincibles to a five-wicket victory with six balls to spare.

The South African ended on 37 not out while Emily Windsor hit the winning runs to end unbeaten on 13 before being mobbed by her team-mates who rushed onto the field.
Kapp stands up as Invincibles go back to back

It was not a match of thrilling boundary-hitting but became a suitably nervy game to suit the occasion – Lord’s all-but full by the end.
Despite 25 from Capsey, the defending champions were still 24 runs away from victory when Windsor joined Kapp in the middle.

Kapp, one of the world’s best all-rounders, played the role of experienced professional and talked Windsor through the tension between deliveries. Windsor, who combines her playing career with commentating on BBC radio, at no point looked overawed.

But despite the calm in the middle, the tension was clear elsewhere. Kapp’s wife Dane van Niekerk, the Invincibles captain last year, who was left out of the playing XI for the final, was on her feet on the Lord’s balcony, clearly struggling with the nerves.

Kapp, who missed the Commonwealth Games earlier this summer because of a serious illness within her family, was cool throughout, however.
That was until she dropped to one knee after the winning moment, the 32-year-old visibly emotional.
Brave arguably have the strongest squad in the women’s competition but once again it was the Invincibles who came out on top. (BBC Sport)