Invincibles open account thanks to Capsey blitz

Alice Capsey's scintillating half-century powered Oval Invincibles to their maiden victory of The Hundred Women's Competition 2025 as they beat Birmingham Phoenix by 22 runs at Edgbaston. The visitors posted the third-highest total in women's Hundred history, amassing 174 for 5 before restricting Phoenix to 152 for 6 in reply.

Electing to bat, Invincibles made their intentions clear from the outset as Lauren Winfield-Hill (33 off 27 balls) and Meg Lanning (36 off 19 balls) dominated the 25-ball Powerplay, racing to 54 without loss. Lanning's aggressive knock - comprising half a dozen boundaries and a six - set the platform before Capsey took centre stage, combining elegant strokeplay with calculated aggression. The England allrounder's 52 off 29 balls featured eight boundaries finding the gaps with precision and timing.

Paige Scholfield provided valuable support at the other end in a 57-run stand alongside Capsey as the visitors finished with a commanding total. The Phoenix bowling attack struggled to contain the persistent onslaught, with only Hannah Baker offering resistance with figures of 2 for 24 from her 20-ball quota. The target of 175, however, proved a mountain too high for the hosts as many batters got starts but neither stuck around long enough to power the chase.

The chase began promisingly with Australian youngster Georgia Voll getting off to a flier, but the experience of Marizanne Kapp and Amanda-Jade Wellington soon foiled those plans. The Australian picked up two wickets and effected a run-out as Phoenix kept losing steam every time a partnership seemed to be gaining some momentum.

Scotland's Ailsa Lister emerged as the top-score with a valiant 33 not out in 18 balls, but she didn't find consistent support to guide her team home. After two defeats, Invincibles finally opened their account with a comfortable 22-run victory.

Brief scores: Oval Invincibles 174/5 in 100 balls (Alice Capsey 52, Meg Lanning 36, Lauren Winfield-Hill 33; Hannah Baker 2-24) beat Birmingham Phoenix 152/6 in 100 balls (Alisa Lister 33*, Ellyse Perry 29; Amanda Jade-Wellington 2-27) by 22 runs