On Thursday (August 14), during the 31st game of The Hundred Women’s 2024 Competition, Oval Invincibles’ Mady Villiers showcased her exceptional fielding skills with a remarkable catch. The match, held at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, saw Villiers take a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Trent Rockets’ opener Bryony Smith.
Mady Villiers’ unbelievable catch
On the eighth ball of the Rockets’ innings, Marizanne Kapp unleashed a back-of-the-length delivery just outside off-stump. Smith, in an attempt to pull the ball towards the leg side, could not muster sufficient force behind her shot. Positioned at short mid-wicket, Villiers displayed remarkable agility, swiftly moving to her left. With impeccable timing and precision, she leaped full-length to her left and pulled off a stunning one-handed catch. Smith’s dismissal for a mere one run left the Rockets reeling at 2/2 after eight balls, putting them in a challenging position early in their innings.
Here’s the video:
😱 A one-handed catch! 😱
How good from Mady Villiers?! 🙇#TheHundred | #RoadToTheEliminator pic.twitter.com/eCBhW2k9ha
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 14, 2024
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Trent Rockets struggle against Oval Invincibles’ bowlers
The Invincibles’ captain Lauren Winfield-Hill chose to bowl first, and Kapp made an immediate impact by dismissing Grace Scrivens for a duck. Villiers’ spectacular catch removed Smith, and Rachel Slater dismissed Nat Sciver-Brunt for a duck. Despite a 43-run partnership between Natasha Wraith (14) and Ashleigh Gardner (43 off 26 balls), early breakthroughs and late strikes from Sophia Smale saw the Rockets collapse to 91/8 after 100 balls. Kapp shone with 3 wickets for 8 runs in 20 deliveries, with Slater and Smale contributing 2 wickets each.
Invincibles chase down target to secure Playoff spot
Chasing a target of 92 runs, the Invincibles’ batters adopted a steady approach to stay ahead of the required run rate. Kapp, who shone with both bat and ball, remained unbeaten on 26*, while Paige Scholfield added a valuable 26. Their effective fourth-wicket partnership guided the team to victory with six balls to spare. Despite the Rockets’ attempts to defend their total, they could only secure five wickets. The Invincibles’ win by five wickets not only clinched the match but also guaranteed their advancement to the Women’s Hundred 2024 playoffs.
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This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.