India’s Deepti Sharma starred with the bat as her composure under pressure helped London Spirit defeat Welsh Fire in the final of the Women’s Hundred 2024 tournament, that was played at Lord’s on Sunday.
London Spirit's pursuit of 116 was far from easy, as they were put under severe pressure, primarily due to a torrid spell by Shabnim Ismail. She scored 3/24 in her sets with the ball.
Danielle Gibson had appeared dangerous with a quickfire 22 from nine balls. Despite Ismail's heroics, the Spirit remained in the chase, with Deepti stepping up under duress. Deepti landed the fatal punch, sending the London Spirit dugout into an emotional rollercoaster.
London Spirit captain Heather Knight said that the team was nervous as Deepti struggled to find her footing in the final. The strain was rising as she failed to score a boundary in her first 15 balls.
With the Spirit needing four runs from the last three balls, the prospect of a Super Five loomed huge. Deepti, on the other hand, ensured that there were no more surprises by scoring a six to seal the victory.
Facing Hayley Matthews, she hit a tremendous shot down the ground for six, scoring an unblemished 16 and powering her team to win.
Check Deepti’s winning six and celebrations here: