Grace Harris Outshines Meg Lanning as London Spirit Begin Title Defence with Dominant Win

Grace Harris Outshines Meg Lanning as London Spirit Begin Title Defence with Dominant Win

Grace Harris delivered a stunning performance at Lord’s to launch London Spirit’s Women’s Hundred title defence with a commanding 17-run victory over city rivals Oval Invincibles. Harris smashed an unbeaten 89 off just 42 balls, powering Spirit to 176 for 5 — the second-highest total in the history of the women’s competition.

In front of a lively crowd of 15,640, the big-hitting Australian showcased her full range of shots, including a signature reverse hit, and formed a crucial 94-run partnership with Cordelia Griffith, who contributed a brisk 50 from 29 deliveries. Their efforts gave Spirit a formidable total and the perfect platform to begin their 2025 campaign.

Harris, who was chosen over Meg Lanning in the winter draft, ended up winning their high-profile head-to-head. Lanning responded with a valiant 85 off 51 balls in the chase, keeping the Invincibles in contention for much of the innings. However, with little support from the rest of the batting lineup, the South London side fell short, finishing on 159 for 4.

Alice Capsey and Marizanne Kapp offered brief resistance, while England quick Issy Wong impressed for Spirit with figures of 2 for 26. Tash Farrant also marked a personal milestone, taking her first wicket in the competition after a 1,450-day absence due to injury.

With last year’s title-winning captain Heather Knight unavailable, Spirit’s win was all the more significant, securing early bragging rights in the capital and setting a confident tone for their campaign.

'Meerkat Match Hero' Harris Reflects

“You always want a win on the board, especially in a format like this when it's so fast,” said Harris after being named Meerkat Match Hero. “And it's great to come up against our cross-town rivals and get the wood on them, too.

“It was a good wicket. The openers gave us good feedback — there was a bit of swing early, but otherwise it was playing nicely. When you're coming in during the middle overs, you've got to capitalise on every ball.”

As for her batting position, Harris added: “I’d love to open because you get to bat for the longest, but I don’t really care where I end up. It’s pretty good to cash in at the end — so I’ll take it!”

Match Summary:

London Spirit 176 for 5 (Harris 89*, Griffith 50)
beat
Oval Invincibles 159 for 4 (Lanning 85, Wong 2-26)
by 17 runs

You May Interested

> Green and Holland Wreck Surrey as Leicestershire Cruise to Six-Wicket Win
> Two-Tier WTC Proposal Faces Resistance as ICC Working Group Explores Test Cricket Reform
> Bell, Villiers Fire as Southern Brave Cruise to Opening Win Over Manchester Originals
> Southern Brave Edge Thriller as Anderson Struggles on Hundred Debut
> Konstas, Peake, McSweeney Named in Australia A Squad for India Tour; Ashes Hopefuls Overlooked
> Rickelton Unfazed by Senior Role as He Eyes Permanent T20I Opening Spot
> Rew Brothers Lead Somerset to Victory with Century Stand in One Day Cup Opener
> Brendan Taylor Returns as Zimbabwe Bat First in Second Test Against New Zealand
> Brendan Taylor Makes Emotional Comeback: “It Feels Like a Debut Again”
> London Spirit Investors Eye Hundred as Cricket’s Next Billion-Dollar League
Indian Premier League 2025 | League
🕹️ 74 Matches 👥 12 Teams 📅 30 Apr, 2025 - 30 Apr, 2025
Pakistan Super League, 2025 | League
🕹️ 34 Matches 👥 8 Teams 📅 30 Apr, 2025 - 30 Apr, 2025
Tri-Nation Series in UAE, 2025 | Domestic
🕹️ 7 Matches 👥 5 Teams 📅 30 Apr, 2025 - 30 Apr, 2025
Womens World Cup Qualifier, 2025 | Women
🕹️ 15 Matches 👥 6 Teams 📅 19 Apr, 2025 - 19 Apr, 2025
England A Women tour of Australia, 2025 | Local
🕹️ 7 Matches 👥 0 Teams 📅 26 Mar, 2025 - 15 Apr, 2025
Kolkata National Cricket Club, 2025 | Local
🕹️ 33 Matches 👥 6 Teams 📅 11 Apr, 2025 - 11 Apr, 2025
County Championship Division One, 2025 | Domestic
🕹️ 35 Matches 👥 10 Teams 📅 30 Apr, 2025 - 30 Apr, 2025
Afghanistan U19 tour of Nepal, 2025 | Domestic
🕹️ 3 Matches 👥 2 Teams 📅 11 Apr, 2025 - 11 Apr, 2025
KCC T20 Challengers B League, 2025 | Local
🕹️ 33 Matches 👥 14 Teams 📅 30 Apr, 2025 - 30 Apr, 2025
Vincy Premier League, 2025 | Local
🕹️ 30 Matches 👥 8 Teams 📅 21 Apr, 2025 - 21 Apr, 2025
Melbourne T10 League, 2025 | Local
🕹️ 22 Matches 👥 7 Teams 📅 17 Apr, 2025 - 17 Apr, 2025
Quadrangular T20I Series in Hong Kong, China, 2025 | International
🕹️ 8 Matches 👥 6 Teams 📅 13 Apr, 2025 - 13 Apr, 2025
Uganda Women tour of Namibia, 2025 | Women
🕹️ 7 Matches 👥 2 Teams 📅 17 Apr, 2025 - 17 Apr, 2025
Major League Cricket 2025 | League
🕹️ 4 Matches 👥 6 Teams 📅 14 Jul, 2025 - 14 Jul, 2025
ECS Italy, Bologna, 2025 | Local
🕹️ 29 Matches 👥 10 Teams 📅 18 Apr, 2025 - 18 Apr, 2025