Grace Scrivens and Naomi Dattani’s partnership of 57 runs off 55 balls managed to get London Spirit over the line against Birmingham Phoenix to destroy their hopes of securing a place in the playoffs.

Scrivens produced an all-round performance of the ball with brilliant bowling figures of 1-11 which restricted Phoenix to a total of 82 all out.

Megan Schutt, Amelia Kerr and Freya Davies all contributed two wickets apiece while Dattani top-scored with 28 off 29 to lift Spirit to their second win of the tournament.

Davies made the initial breakthrough when Sophie Molineux slashed a wide ball straight to Kerr at point.

Then it was Schutt’s turn to shine, producing a peach of a ball which seamed between bat and pad to castle Amy Jones. Not content with that, Schutt struck again with her next delivery which Elysse Perry cut into the hands of wicketkeeper Beth Mooney.

Eve Jones saved the hat-trick, but Phoenix were in deeper trouble when Sophie Devine set off for a single which was never there and was run out by Dean before she could recover her ground.

Jones and Georgia Elwiss briefly threatened to rally the visitors, but the latter fell trying to scoop Gibson, while the latter fell to a stunning catch by skipper Dean from the bowling of Scrivens.

Incredible tag-fielding between Grace Monaghan and Dattani accounted for Emily Arlott while another comical run out saw Phoenix hustled out for 82 with six balls left.

However, for a Spirit side skittled for 80 in their last game against Oval Invincibles, the chase got off to a terrible start – Gibson holing out on the fence for her fourth duck of the campaign.

It became worse when Beth Mooney, top scorer for Spirit with 205 runs in six innings, was run out by an incredible direct hit from Devine and Jones took Kerr with an extraordinary diving catch.

Dean’s first boundary came after 17 and in the next, Elwiss dropped her bowled effort to the captain as it slipped away from her, yet Spirit were at a dismal 11-3 at the end of the powerplay.

A brief partnership started to flourish between Sophie Luff and Dean, however Arlott forced the former to chip the ball into the air where it was safely pouched by Perry.

Key wickets in the form of Dean and Monaghan were taken but hopes were raised by Dattani and Scrivens.

With their first boundary reappearing on the scorecard 45 balls after the last, Spirit brought it down to the wire with 12 runs needed from the last 10 balls.

With Molineux bowling a no-ball delivery and costing her team a free hit, the pressure fell through as the hosts needed two runs in four. Scrivens sealed the deal as Spirit gained victory in a low-scoring thriller.

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