The Oval Invincibles achieved their third victory in four matches of The Hundred, thanks to the remarkable all-round performance of Sam Curran, who was instrumental in a fierce London derby against the Spirit.
Curran scored a blistering 51 runs off just 22 balls, leading the Invincibles to a substantial total of 147 despite a challenging pitch, and showcased his bowling prowess with a phenomenal five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick that crushed Spirit’s batting hopes.
Upon winning the toss and opting to bat first on the bowler-friendly Lord’s pitch, the Invincibles faced early setbacks, managing only 46 runs for the loss of two wickets at the halfway stage. Will Jacks fell to Olly Stone, and Liam Dawson dismissed Jordan Cox, who recently earned a call-up to the England Men’s Test squad.
After settling in, Dawid Malan and Sam Billings each contributed valuable runs before Malan was caught on the square-leg boundary after scoring 38 runs from 29 balls. Billings struggled to gain momentum and ultimately retired himself out to give the in-form Donovan Ferreira a chance, but it was Curran who shifted the game’s tide with his extraordinary innings, hitting three successive sixes off Nathan Ellis to reach fifty off just 21 deliveries.
Despite Spirit’s openers Keaton Jennings and Michael Pepper starting confidently in the powerplay, reaching 35 runs without loss, the Invincibles’ formidable spin attack took control. Jacks dismissed Jennings lbw, Adam Zampa took Pepper’s wicket with his first delivery, and Nathan Sowter bowled Ollie Pope to pile on the pressure.
With Dan Lawrence and Shimron Hetmyer fighting back and needing 56 runs from the final 30 balls, the match remained competitive. However, Zampa, who ended with figures of 3-22, quickly dismissed both Hetmyer (20) and Lawrence (27). As Andre Russell attempted to steer Spirit towards victory, Curran sealed the win for the Invincibles with the third-ever hat-trick in the history of The Hundred’s men’s competition, marking one of the tournament’s standout individual performances.
Player of the Match: Sam Curran
Reflecting on the match, Curran noted, “I’ve had a few battles with Russ (Russell) over the years. The hat-trick ball wasn’t on my mind; it was either going to be me or him. Fortunately, he edged it, but most importantly, we got the win. It’s never over with players like Lawrence, Hetmyer, and Russell present, so getting Russell out was a huge relief.”
Superchargers Triumph Over Originals
In another exciting clash, Harry Brook’s stellar performance propelled the Northern Superchargers to a 14-run victory against the Manchester Originals at Headingley. Brook scored 58 runs from 33 balls, helping the Superchargers set a competitive total of 167-5 after losing the toss.
The Originals faced setbacks with two crucial run-outs, which thwarted their chase as they fell short of the target. The Superchargers initially struggled but saw Brook and Graham Clark build a solid partnership of 50 runs. Brook’s explosive half-century ended when he was spectacularly caught by a diving Scott Currie.
Despite a promising start from Originals’ openers, both were run out, leaving the team scrambling as the Superchargers’ bowlers fought back. The Originals, needing 29 runs from 13 balls, faltered as no other batsman scored in double figures, leaving them at the bottom of the standings.
With this win, the Superchargers climbed to third place after securing three victories out of four matches.
Player of the Match: Harry Brook
Brook expressed his thoughts on the match, saying, “I felt they were the favorites coming out of the powerplay, but we bowled exceptionally well at the death to secure the win. The outfield is so quick that I focused on piercing the gaps rather than hitting many balls in the air.”
What’s Next?
The excitement continues in The Hundred with two matches scheduled for Monday, featuring Welsh Fire against Southern Brave at 3pm, followed by the men’s match at 6:30pm.
