Manchester Originals 139 for 6 (Mooney 70) beat Oval Invincibles 137 for 3 (Lanning 56, Winfield-Hill 33, Ecclestone 1-18) by two runs
Manchester Originals held their nerve to claim a nail-biting two-run victory over Oval Invincibles in a dramatic clash at the Kia Oval, leaving Invincibles still searching for their first win of their 2025 campaign in the Hundred women's competition.
After being sent in to bat, Originals captain Beth Mooney showed her class, anchoring the innings with 70 off 45 balls. She combined early with Kathryn Bryce, before the latter was bowled by South Africa's Marizanne Kapp, who impressed with figures of 2 for 22.
Amelia Kerr added 15 before falling to a stunning diving catch from the returning Tash Farrant, off the bowling of Phoebe Franklin (1 for 17). Despite losing wickets in the latter stages, Mooney's efforts saw the Originals post a competitive 139 for 6.
In response, Invincibles came out firing, racing to 42 without loss in the powerplay. Skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill contributed 33 off 25, while Australian great Meg Lanning held strong in the chase with a well-paced 56 off 42 balls.
The match swung late when Sophie Ecclestone dismissed Alice Capsey for 17. With 26 needed off the final 12 balls, pressure mounted. A crucial moment came when Fi Morris spilled a catch on the boundary - only for Lanning to fall shortly after, caught by Alice Monaghan with five balls to go and 13 still needed.
Paige Scholfield briefly reignited hopes with a boundary and single, but with four required off the final delivery, Kapp was unable to find the rope leaving Originals to take the win.
Mooney, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: "You can't really get too high or too low in this format. It can change pretty quickly. But I was really pleased that [Kathryn] Bryce came out and hit the ball like she did. She's an excellent player and can match it with the best in the world - so to see a take on Kapp like that was awesome.
"I thought they bowled well up front; the ball was doing enough to make you second-guess yourself, but when I'm at my best, I'm not really thinking about it and hopefully can hit some out of the middle, and there are a few more in me for the rest of the tournament."
