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Oval Invincibles made it three wins from four in The Hundred with Sam Curran’s all-round heroics proving the difference between two sides fighting it out for bragging rights in the capital.
Curran smashed 51 from 22 balls, single-handedly dragging the Invincibles to a strong total on a tricky surface before decimating the Spirit’s hopes of chasing 147 in an astonishing five-wicket spell that included a hat-trick.
On a Lord’s pitch offering a degree of lateral movement, Invincibles’ captain Sam Billings chose to bat first, and with Spirit’s attack making good use of the bowler-friendly surface, the visitors struggled to 46-2 at the halfway stage.
Olly Stone bowled Will Jacks through the gate and Liam Dawson dismissed Jordan Cox, who was fresh off his call-up to the England Men’s Test squad.
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Curran hit a brilliant half-century off just 21 balls for the Oval Invincibles, including three sixes in a row!
Dawid Malan and Billings then struck a few hefty blows before Malan was caught on the square-leg boundary off Matt Critchley for 38 from 29.
Billings struggled to get going and retired himself out in favour of the in-form Donovan Ferreira, but it was Curran who turned the tide, reaching a half century off 21 deliveries, including three successive sixes off Nathan Ellis. His innings propelled Invincibles to a decent-looking 147-5.
In response, Spirit made it through the powerplay unscathed, Keaton Jennings and Michael Pepper guiding them to 35-0.
But thereafter Invincibles’ top-notch spin attack turned the screw, with both openers and Ollie Pope falling in quick succession; Jacks removing Jennings lbw, Adam Zampa having Pepper caught with the first ball of his spell, and Nathan Sowter crashing a leg break through Pope’s defences.
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Spirit’s Charlie Dean leaped up through the air to make a sensational catch!
Dan Lawrence and Shimron Hetmyer dragged the Spirit back into it and with 56 needed from the final 30 balls, the game was on. But before they could up the ante, Zampa, who ended with figures of 3-22, dismissed both Hetmyer (20 from 21) and Lawrence (27 from 18).
Despite Andre Russell attempting to bludgeon the hosts home, Curran made the Invincibles win a certainty by taking only the third hat-trick in the history of the The Hundred men’s competition to cap one of the tournament’s greatest individual performances.
Player of the match: Sam Curran
“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, he was going to hit me for six or I was going to get a wicket. Thankfully he edged it but most importantly we got the win,” said Curran.
“It’s never over when players like Dan (Lawrence), Hetmyer and Russell are there, so when we got him (Russell) out it was a big relief.”
What’s next?
The Hundred continues with two matches on Monday. Welsh Fire and Southern Brave women get the day started at 3pm followed by the men at 6.30pm, with both matches live on Sky Sports Cricket. Stream The Hundred and more sport with NOW.
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