London Spirit’s campaign in The Hundred last year was over almost before the starting gun was fired, two washouts before they lost a rain affected match to the eventual champions Southern Brave. Winning only two matches they came a disappointing 6th.
This year the Lord’s based outfit have come flying out the blocks with wins on Saturday against the Birmingham Phoenix by 20 runs and an impressive 6 wicket victory with 3 balls to spare against Southern Brave last Wednesday.

On a glorious sunny afternoon at the Home of Cricket Birmingham Phoenix put the London Spirit into bat and the innings exploded into life when Cordelia Griffith joined the action at the fall of the first wicket. Graham struck 20 runs off an Emily Arlott set, 2 6’s and 2 4’s, and when Griffith was dismissed the Spirit were 52/2 off 30 balls.
Thereafter, two of the classiest players in the women’s international game over the last decade, the former Australian captain Meg Lanning and England’s Heather Knight took command. By halfway the home side had reached 83/2.
Fresh from her match winning innings against the Brave, the England and London Spirit skipper Knight struck 26 off 18 balls while Lanning in only her second match in The Hundred cut her way in customary fashion to 53 off 41 balls.
With the Australian legend missing out on the strike the Spirit only managed 10 runs off the last 15 balls and in a manic last set of 5, which included two wides and two run outs, they lost four wickets to finish on a decent score of 147/9. You felt it could have been more after the impetus given by Griffith and the score at halfway.
The Phoenix lacked spark at the start of their innings with New Zealand International Suzie Bates struggling to 6 off 12 balls, and at the power play stage had scored 25/1, 21 runs behind the Spirit.
At halfway the Midlands side had reached 55/2 with skipper Elysse Perry and Sophie Devine building a partnership. Perry, the Australian all rounder was the leader of the partnership and after she had reached her half century off 36 balls the Phoenix required 40 from the last 20 balls.
A tight match looked likely but between the 85th and 95th ball the visitors lost all momentum scoring only 9 runs against the bowling of Dani Gibson, Eva Gray and Sarah Glenn. Leg spinner Glenn produced a magical set, taking three wickets including the prize ones of Perry 65 (48 balls) and Devine 37 (31 balls).
The defeat leaves Phoenix bottom of the table while Spirit moved to the top. What a difference a year makes! It certainly does for the London Spirit while the Birmingham Phoenix have now lost the last 12 matches, they have started in The Hundred.
Momentum is an oft quoted word in franchise cricket and at the moment it’s easy to see which side has that. With Lanning and Knight in prime form, backed up by wicket keeper batter Georgia Redmayne, (catch her remarkable stumping of Bates) along with fellow Aussie Erin Burns and a varied bowling attack, the Spirit look to have most bases covered. A place in the top three looks eminently possible.
What a difference a year makes!
The after-match reactions
Sarah Glenn – London Spirit
20 balls 4 wickets 22 runs
What’s the difference this year?
I just think we are really clinical, and everyone is stepping up at one point like there is no one set person standing up. We are working really well as a team.
We were quite unlucky last year with the weather so it nice to get on the field for the first couple of game.
And to play with Meg Lanning?
Oh, it’s so nice not to bowl at her, I’m not going to lie. She really adds a lot of value to the team on and off the field I’m just picking at her wisdom at the moment and so is the rest of the team.

Ellyse Perry – Birmingham Phoenix
I think we played reasonably well today. I thought we played really positively there was lots of good things in there, but we lost momentum in the chase which cost us.
It doesn’t take a lot to shift the tide in short form cricket. I think we are really enjoying our cricket, there has been lots of positivity out there, the brand we are playing is great, we’re just missing a couple of crucial moments of execution that’s costing us.