Tash Farrant exploits Phoenix batting to send Invincibles into Hundred final

Farrant takes four for 10 as Invincibles win by 20 runsWinners face Southern Brave in final at Lord’s on Saturday

In front of a boisterous home crowd Oval Invincibles triumphed in the eliminator of the women’s Hundred, setting up a tantalising final against Southern Brave at Lord’s on Saturday afternoon. But it would be just as accurate to point out that Birmingham Phoenix threw this game away: from a dominant position at the halfway stage of their chase, they were bowled out for 94 to lose by 20 runs, their last eight wickets falling for 28 runs in a flurry of desperate hitting, scrambled tactics and superb fielding.

Set 115 to win, Birmingham reached a largely untroubled 66 for two off 49 balls, at which point the game took a sharp tilt. Erin Burns and Amy Jones were dismissed off successive deliveries and, even though the required rate was still only around a run a ball, the lack of big-game experience in their middle order quickly became a problem. The last boundary of their innings came off the 66th ball, after which Oval’s bowlers expertly tightened the screw.

Related: The Hundred men’s eliminator: Southern Brave v Trent Rockets – live!

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