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The defending champions continue to live up to their monicker — "The Invincibles". Today, they have handed a star-studded Manchester Originals a thrashing. Who can stop them?
We'll (hopefully) find the answer to that question in the upcoming days. But for now, there is another game lined up in The Hundred today. In case your appetite for slam-bang cricket has not been satiated yet, feel free to switch tabs and join the coverage of Welsh Fire vs London Spirits — that game begins in a bit.
From this window, it is the duo of Darpan Tikiya and Karthik Raj signing off.
Rashid Khan (Player of the Match): "Feeling great to get back-to-back POTM awards. More than that, great to get a win with a huge NRR boost. In the last IPL, I was missing my line and length. My body wasn't getting through the crease. It is a good feeling. Great start to the tournament, everyone is doing well and taking responsibility. Definitely, the way they played. It is very important. Huge plus point for us that they played almost through the innings. So good to see them finishing the game. Lots of confidence from both the games. The morale is high and hope to keep repeating the same performances."
4:36 PM local time, 9:06 PM IST | Oval Invincibles win by 9 wickets with 43 balls to spare.
Will Jacks - 61 (29) | Rashid Khan - 3/19 Phil Salt - 41 (32) | Lewis Gregory - 1/31
Phew.. have you caught your breath back yet? What a whirlwind of a run chase have we just witnessed. We knew that the Originals had not got enough on the board, but none of us expected the Invincibles to gun down the target in the spectacular fashion they did. Both WillJacks and TawandaMuyeye came out to bat looking purposeful and fearless. While they threw their bats at virtually everything that they could, they did all of that without ever losing their shape.
With every boundary that was scored, the shoulders of the Originals bowlers sagged a bit further and more "hit me" balls followed. The Invincibles openers obliged. Muyeye scored his maiden half-century in the competition — he got there in 22 balls — and soon Jacks followed suit, getting to his fifty off the 23rd ball he faced. By the time the latter was dismissed the writing was already on the wall.
Earlier, the Manchester Originals' batting innings followed a script similar to that of the last match — the "soda bottle" script. Started with a lot of effervescence, but fizzled out as the game went on.
But a late order flourish from Scott Currie has helped them get to a respectable total, giving the bowlers a chance. However, an overall return of 129 does not match the firepower that exists on paper for that team. But it was that kind of day today. Jos Buttler failed to tee off, Heinrich Klaasen looked scratchy and after a good start, Phil Salt — who completed 1000 runs in The Hundred today — fell off a bit. Mark Chapman played an impressive knock of 28 but could not convert it into a big score.
For the Invincibles, it was a combined effort with the ball. There bowlers complimented each other well through that innings. Behrendorff set the tone by bowling a couple of tidy sets up front, Sam Curran kept things tight at the end and through the middle Rashid Khan did Rashid Khan things.
11.2 Sonny Baker to Jordan Cox, DONE AND DUSTED.. WITH A BOUNDARY! Short ball that got up to head height. Cox leaned backwards, shaping to duck it initially — or so it felt, and then, out of nowhere brought out the pull shot, swatting it away behind square leg.
11.1 Sonny Baker to Tawanda Muyeye, fuller side of good length, speared in from over the wicket, slanting into the middle and leg. Glanced to deep square leg for a run.
Sonny Baker to bowl now. 5 more to win.
10.5 Scott Currie to Tawanda Muyeye, another pace-off ball, sits up nicely at the height of the midriff. Pulled towards deep midwicket for a couple.
10.4 Scott Currie to Tawanda Muyeye, pace-off, on a similar length, deviates inwards to finish at the middle and leg. Muyeye swiped across the line, only to miss it and cop it on the body.
10.3 Scott Currie to Jordan Cox, good length ball angling into the pads. Tucked away in front of square leg for a single.
10.2 Scott Currie to Tawanda Muyeye, length delivery angling into the pads, Muyeye flicks it to deep mid-wicket. Single taken.
10.1 Scott Currie to Tawanda Muyeye, FOUR! Slower delivery on a length outside-off, Muyeye dabs it to backward point where both the fielder placed there and the fielder at short third dive but fail to stop the ball from reaching the fence.
We are now officially at the halfway stage. But the Invincibles have wiped far more than half of the target. Only 13 more to win.
10.0
9.5 Lewis Gregory to Jordan Cox, short and wide of off, Cox cuts it to deep backward point where the fielder runs to his left and fumbles a touch before recovering. Two runs taken.
Another player who bats in the same mould — Jordan Cox, RHB, — makes his way to the crease.
Jordan Cox batting at 3rd position
The wicket seems to have come completely against the run of play. Though, the way he was throwing his bat at everything, he had to miscue one at some point, isn't it?
Will Jacks has been dismissed for 61 runs off 26 balls
9.4 Lewis Gregory to Will Jacks, JACKS HOLES OUT! Short outside-off, Jacks looks to pull it over long-on but he miscues it as Scott Currie takes a simple catch in the deep!
9.3 Lewis Gregory to Will Jacks, FOUR! Short and wide of off, Jacks looks to cut but he gets a top-edge over short third as the ball races away to the fence for a boundary.
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