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The inaugural edition of The Hundred is all set to start on 21 July. The men's edition is scheduled to begin on 22 July with the Oval Invincibles taking on the Manchester Originals.
The Oval Invincibles have Rory Burns and Sam Curran as their England-contracted players. Tom Curran and Jason Roy were signed as the side's local icons. The overseas contingent for the Invincibles is constituted by Sunil Narine, Colin Ingram and Sandeep Lamichhane.
As we near the start of the Hundred, we take a look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the Oval Invincibles.
Oval Invincibles Squad:
Sam Curran, Rory Burns, Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood, Laurie Evans, Alex Blake, Sunil Narine, Nathan Sowter, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jordan Clark, Colin Ingram, Jordan Cox, Will Jacks, Brandon Glover
Strengths
The Oval Invincibles are arguably the most balanced team on paper this season. All departments seem well balanced within the team with adequate and quality backups, alongside a formidable first choice XI.
Jason Roy and Will Jacks are most likely to be the opening pair for the Invincibles. Roy is currently one of the best white-ball openers, while Jacks is a proven customer in the domestic circuit. The latter also has a fair bit of experience playing in the BBL.
Young Jordan Cox at three will be followed by the experienced duo of Colin Ingram and Sam Billings. The latter as well as Sam Curran and Jordan Clark are expected to take over the role of finishers, which they are quite accustomed to.
Unlike most other teams, the Oval Invincibles have a batting lineup where none of the batsmen have to bat out of position. This feature of the outfit makes them even more dangerous.
Their pace department also looks terrific and is arguably one of the best in the tournament. The Curran brothers, Reece Topley and Saqib Mahmood form the fast bowling core. The attack is very versatile, comprising of bowlers with raw pace as well as lateral movement. They can also hit the deck hard to generate extra bounce in addition to bowling good yorkers.
The spinning duo of Narine and Lamichhane are also excellent additions to this mix. All of this confirms that the Oval Invincibles have one of the best bowling attacks in the tournament.
Weaknesses
On paper, the Oval Invincibles have almost all bases covered and no apparent weakness. However, one thing that might hold them at a position of disadvantage is the absence of local spinners and a spinner who can bowl the arm-ball.
Sunil Narine has not been at his best in recent past and Sandeep Lamichhane remains their lone attacking spinner. The only other spinner in the squad, Nathan Swoter, has not had enough exposure on the global stage.
Opportunities:
England's skipper in the 2020 U-19 World Cup, Jordan Cox, is likely to slot in at the crucial number 3. The youngster will have a cushion of good experience above and below him in the batting order, an element that every young batsman would love to have. This will allow Cox to play his natural game and express himself without getting bogged down by pressure.
On the bowling end, Saqib Mahmood was extremely impressive in the home series against Pakistan. He will also be eager to make a huge impact and book his England berth for the T20 World Cup later this year.
The pacer registers good clicks and has troubled batsmen with the ball moving laterally at express pace. Mahmood can also bowl at any stage of the game, making him the trump card for his side.
Threats
The spin attack is in a tricky position for the Oval Invincibles. Lamichhane and Narine are proven options and are match-winners on their day, but the Invincibles will have to decide whether to pick one of them or both. The latter option would mean dropping either Tom Curran or Reece Topley, which would be a tough decision to make. This might also prove to be the decisive factor at times during the tournament.
Additionally, expectations are bound to be high from the Oval Invincibles at The Hundred. On paper, they are one of the most balanced and well-rounded sides in the tournament and will be expected to go deep into the knockout stages. With plenty of international experience in their ranks, fans will hope the team can deal with the pressure and weight of expectations.
Oval Invincibles Probable Playing XI:
Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Jordan Cox, Colin Ingram, Sam Billings (wk), Jordan Clark, Sam Curran, Sunil Narine, Sandeep Lamichhane, Saqib Mahmood, Reece Topley.
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