Mooney's 70 scripts first win for Manchester Originials

Manchester Originals held their nerve in a nail-biting finish to edge past Oval Invincibles by just two runs at The Kia Oval, with captain Beth Mooney's brilliant 70 proving to be the difference between the two sides.

After being put into bat, Manchester Originals posted a competitive 139 for 6 in their 100 balls, built around Mooney's sparkling knock. Oval Invincibles' chase began promisingly as Lauren Winfield-Hill and Meg Lanning put together a solid opening stand. The experienced duo reached 42 without loss in the first 25 balls of the PowerPlay, before extending their partnership to 49 without loss after 35 balls. Winfield-Hill looked particularly fluent, racing to 32, while Lanning provided steady support on 16 at the strategic timeout.

However, as the innings progressed, Manchester Originals' bowlers managed to apply pressure at crucial junctures. Despite the promising start, Oval Invincibles found themselves needing to accelerate in the latter stages of their innings, as the middle order couldn't quite capitalize on the strong foundation laid by their openers, and despite a valiant effort in the closing stages, they fell agonizingly short of their target.

Needing four runs from the final delivery, Invincibles could only manage one, finishing on 137 for 6. Deandra Dottin, bowling the last over, conceded a six but managed to keep her nerve at the finishing line.

This result leaves Oval Invincibles still searching for their first win of the 2025 campaign, while also giving Manchester Originals their first win this year.

Brief Scores: Manchester Originals 139/6 (Beth Mooney 70) beat Oval Invincibles 137/3 (Meg Lnning 56) by 2 runs