Ravi Bopara went form villain to hero as London Spirit beat Northern Superchargers by 13 runs at Lord’s to keep alive their hopes of a place in the knockout stages.

The veteran allrounder dropped a sitter of a catch early in Superchargers’ attempted chase of 161 but atoned – and then some – with ball in hand. He finished his spell with 4 for 21, including the prize wicket of Harry Brook for 44 from 24 balls – the youngster having played like a man scorned following his omission from England’s provisional World Cup squad earlier this week.

Earlier, Adam Rossington made his second half-century in as many games, sharing a stand of 66 in 32 balls for the third wicket with Matthew Wade (42) as the home side posted 160 for 6. Adil Rashid took 2 for 18 and Reece Topley 2 for 20 for the visitors.

Zak Crawley struck three fours before becoming Topley’s 11th victim of the tournament, caught at mid-on by David Wiese. The England man stood his ground but a check by the third umpire sent him on his way.

Dan Lawrence didn’t stay long, bowled by Rashid attempting a reverse-sweep, but Rossington picked up where he’d left off against Oval Invincibles on Tuesday, unleashing a flurry of boundaries including a six into the Mound Stand off Wiese.

The Essex wicketkeeper followed up with successive sixes off South African Wayne Parnell, the first a towering blow into the pavilion seats as his 50 came up in 25 balls. Rossington’s pyrotechnics inspired Wade, who sent one from Matthew Potts over the ropes in taking 18 from one set.

Rossington though lost the strike and with it his rhythm and soon mishit Rashid into the hands of mid-wicket. Wade followed when Parnell trapped him in front and with that Spirit lost momentum, only a late six from Daryl Mitchell (34 from 19) taking them to 160.

Under darkening skies, Lyth began by belting Dan Worrall into the stands but he should have been out for 8 when skying Jordan Thompson to Bopara at short third, only for the Sussex man to spill the regulation chance. To compound the error, Matthew Short sent the next ball into the crowd. Lyth then celebrated his reprieve with a second six off Worrall.

Spirit’s ragged fielding gave Lyth a second life on 25, Nathan Ellis the culprit, but his luck ran out when he sent one from Liam Dawson into the hands of Thompson.

Bopara though bowled a stunning opening set, first having Short caught in the deep before knocking Tom Banton’s off stump out of its groove. Unsurprisingly the allrounder was kept on for another set and promptly had Saif Zaib caught at short fine leg.

All eyes were now on Brook who lofted one from Bopara into the crowd before crashing Thompson for three fours in a set. Critchley was treated with equal disdain, but Bopara returned to have Brook caught on the rope by Mitchell.

Hose continued to swing valiantly, but when he fell to Ellis’s stunning diving catch, 24 from the final six proved too many as Ellis closed out the game, bowling 15 of the final 20 deliveries with a wet ball.