All-round Deepti Sharma helps London home in a spirited chase

The Hundred at Old Trafford in Manchester on Tuesday (August 10). The off-spinner was miserable with her bowling figures giving away only ten runs to take two wickets before walking in at a tricky situation to take the London side home in a spirited display of batting.

It all looked like a lost cause for Spirit at 87 for five with needing 41 from 30 balls but Sharma and Charlotte Dean had other plans. Three boundaries in quick succession – one from Dean and two from Sharma – reduced the target to 14 from the last two sets. In the penultimate set bowled by Cross, Sharma got one more four through the leg-side past a diving Mignon du Preez before taking a couple to long-on. It came down to four from the last set and Dean finished the match in style when she slogged through mid-on for a boundary.

Earlier, opting to bat, Manchester Originals openers Emma Lamb and Lizelle Lee were cautious in the first three sets and scored only five runs between them from 15 balls. But soon Lamb upped the ante as she went after Sophie Munro hitting two consecutive fours before launching her over deep square-leg for a maximum.

Meanwhile, Lee continued her struggle and failed to open the account as she was trapped in front of the wicket by Sharma. Du Preez started to get going with a couple of boundaries against Heather Knight while Lamb peppered the off-side against Naomi Dattani to add two more fours to her kitty.

ALSO READ: Jemimah Rodrigues is a weapon: Laura Kimmince

Just when it looked it like Originals were on the ascendancy, Spirit came back into the contest after the strategic timeout when they ran Lamb out for 39 before Knight had Cordelia Griffith adjudged LBW for a duck. The good phase for the visitors continued with Sharma removing du Preez for 31 in the 75^th ball thanks to a brilliant catch from Danielle Gibson.

However, batting at five, Sophie Ecclestone took on the bowlers to go from 13 off 19 to score 19 runs in the last seven balls she faced. She charged Dean to hit her straight over the head for a four and launched her over long-on for a maximum. She finished with a six over deep backward-square off Munro as she shared an enterprising 41-run partnership with Eleanor Threlkeld before the wicket-keeper was caught short of the crease in the last ball of the innings. Originals finished on 127 for five from their stipulated 100 deliveries.

For Spirit, Sharma was the standout bowler again as she finished with frugal figures of two for ten from her 20 balls.

Defending 127, Originals had the perfect start with Kate Cross prizing Tammy Beaumont out for a first ball duck when she had the England opener caught behind the wicket. Once Beaumont was gone, Dattani and Knight couldn’t give Spirit the flier they needed in the power play to get a head start. Despite a couple of boundaries from Knight, they could reach only 24 for one at the end of the power play.

ALSO READ: Deepti Sharma: made for the long haul

Post the power play, Alex Hartley snapped Dattani in a caught and bowled dismissal with the first ball she bowled. From there, Spirit needed Knight and Deandra Dottin to take on the bowling to chase the target down. And Dottin looked on course for the visitors as she used her power and was inventive as well with some deft touches. She smashed Hartley over long-on for a maximum before using Ecclestone’s pace to add two more boundaries.

Spirit needed more from their experienced international batters but once again the guile of Cross came through when she came back to snare Dottin for 28 as she had the West Indian caught at mid-off with a knuckle ball. Two deliveries later, the London side suffered a crushing blow when Hartley repeated her feat against Knight to dismiss her for 35.

With 50 needed from 34 balls, it was time for Spirit lower order to go for broke and Gibson swatted Hartley for a six. But the left-arm spinner came back to trap Gibson in front of the wicket. From there, it was down to Sharma and Dean to take them home.

Brief Scores: Manchester Originals 127/5 in 100 balls (Emma Lamb 39, Sophie Ecclestone 32; Deepti Sharma 2/10) lost to London Spirit 131/5 in 98 balls (Heather Knight 35, Deepti Sharma 34*; Alex Hartley 3/32) by five wickets POTM: Deepti Sharma