The Hundred: London Spirit keep hopes of progress alive

Ravi Bopara went form villain to hero as London Spirit beat Northern Superchargers by 13 runs at Lord’s to keep alive their hopes of a place in the knockout stages.

The veteran all-rounder dropped a sitter of a catch early in the Superchargers’ chase for 161 but atoned and then some with ball in hand taking 4-21, including the prize wicket of Harry Brook for 44 (from 24 balls) – the youngster having played like a man scorned following his omission from England’s World Cup squad earlier this week.

Earlier Adam Rossington made his second 50 of the week (53 from 30), sharing a stand of 66 in 32 balls for the third wicket with Matthew Wade (42) as the home side posted 160-6. Adil Rashid took 2-18 and Reece Topley 2-20 for the visitors.

Zak Crawley struck three fours before becoming Topley’s 11th victim of the tournament caught by David Weise. The England man stood his ground but a check by the third umpire sent him on his way.

Dan Lawrence didn’t stay long, bowled by Rashid attempting a switch hit, but Rossington picked up where he’d left off against the Invincibles on Tuesday, unleashing a flurry of boundaries including a six into the Mound Stand off Weise.

The Essex wicketkeeper followed up with successive sixes off South African Wayne Parnell, the first a towering blow into the pavilion seats as his 50 came up in 25 balls. Rossington’s pyrotechnics inspired Wade who sent one from Matthew Potts over the ropes in taking 20 from one set.

Rossington though lost the strike and with it his rhythm and soon mishit Rashid into the hands of mid-wicket. Wade followed when Parnell trapped him in front and with that Spirit lost momentum, only a late six from Daryl Mitchell (34 from 19) taking them to 160.

Amid darkening skies Adam Lyth began by belting one from Worrall into the stands but he should have been out for eight when skying Jordan Thompson to Bopara at short third, only for the Sussex man to spill the regulation chance. To compound the error Matthew Short sent the next ball into the crowd. Lyth then celebrated his reprieve with a second six off Worrall.

Spirit’s ragged fielding gave Lyth a second life on 25, Nathan Ellis the culprit, but his luck ran out when he sent one from Liam Dawson into the hands of Thompson.

Bopara, though, bowled a stunning opening set, first having Short caught in the deep before castling Tom Banton. Unsurprisingly the all-rounder was kept on for another set and promptly had Saif Zaib caught at short fine.

All eyes were now on Brook who lofted one from Bopara into the crowd before crashing Thompson for three fours in a set.

Critchley was treated with equal disdain, but Bopara returned to dismiss the youngster caught right on the rope by Mitchell.

Hose continued to swing valiantly, but when he fell to Ellis’s stunning diving catch, 24 from the final six proved too many.

*Amelia Kerr’s heroics with bat and ball proved in vain as London Spirit lost a nail-biter to Northern Superchargers by four wickets to bow out of contention the 2023 Women’s Hundred.

New Zealand all-rounder Kerr struck a magnificent 32-ball 60 with nine fours to carry Spirit to 135-7 in their 100 balls.

She followed that with 2-24 with the ball and Sarah Glenn returned 3-19 as the hosts made a valiant attempt to defend their tally and stay in the tournament.

But in-form Phoebe Lichfield’s 38 from 34 and 30 from Jemimah Rodrigues saw Superchargers to 136-6 as they scraped home to all but book their place in the knockout stages.