Farrant relishing change from Lord's spectator to Hundred finalist
Last updated on: 21 August,2021 04:21 am
Women's final of English cricket's Hundred competition will be played at Lord's today (Saturday).
LONDON (AFP) - Tash Farrant said she felt "quite emotional" after her return of four wickets for just 10 runs helped the Oval Invincibles beat the Birmingham Phoenix to book a place in the inaugural women s final of English cricket s Hundred competition at Lord s on Saturday.
Farrant was not in the squad when England won the 2017 Women s World Cup and instead watched the final from among the crowd at Lord s.
But the now 25-year-old can look forward to being involved in a showpiece match at the home of cricket against the Southern Brave after her starring role in Friday s eliminator.
The Invincibles were held to a seemingly below-par total of 114-7 on their Oval home ground, with South Africa s Marizanne Kapp top-scoring with 37.
The Phoenix looked to be on course to join their men s team in the final only to collapse from 81-4 to 94 all out, with left-arm seamer Farrant returning the best bowling figures so far in the 100 balls per side tournament.
"I felt quite emotional actually after the game knowing that I m going to get to play a final at Lord s," said Farrant who has appeared in three one-day internationals and 15 T20s for England.
"I was actually there watching that day in the crowd (World Cup) and I knew that it was somewhere I wanted to be and somewhere I wanted to play on the big stage.
"Obviously we ve already played at Lord s in the Hundred and I just know the atmosphere s going to be electric tomorrow (Saturday)."
After the Phoenix lost both openers without scoring, captain Amy Jones (35) and Erin Burns (23) got them back on course with a third-wicket stand worth 52.
Farrant, however, took a stunning catch to dismiss Burns off the bowling of Kapp, before taking the wicket of England wicketkeeper Jones in her role as a bowler just one ball later.