The Hundred: NOS vs MNR Match Report

Northern Superchargers (NOS) grabbed an emphatic victory over Manchester Originals (MNR) to keep their Hundred playoffs hope alive. After losing the toss, the hosts were three down with 55 runs on the board. But a fabulous half-century from John Simpson and a valuable 36 from Dane Vilas steered Northern Superchargers to 200 – the highest total in the tournament. In their chase, the visitors lost half their wickets after 55 balls and bundled out for 131 with one ball remaining in the match.

Both teams made changes in their playing eleven from their respective last fixtures. Jordan Thompson and Tom Kohler-Cadmore returned to Northern Superchargers playing eleven in place of Harry Brook and Adam Lyth. Manchester Originals brought back fit-again Steven Finn and benched Fred Klaassen.

Kohler-Cadmore and Chris Lynn opened the batting for Northern Superchargers. The uncapped batter scored two boundaries in Calvin Harrison’s first set of five. Lynn, who survived a run-out opportunity, smacked Finn for successive sixes. However, in the next ball, Harrison took a fantastic catch to dismiss Lynn for 15.

With a few balls left in the powerplay, Northern Superchargers lost their second wicket. Lockie Ferguson struck in his first ball to remove Kohler-Cadmore. Stand-in skipper David Willey was the next to depart. He came down the track but only managed a thick outside edge, and Phil Salt took an excellent catch. Willey had hit a six in the previous delivery.

At the halfway point of the innings, Northern Superchargers were 80/3 with Thompson and Vilas at the crease. Thompson hit two sixes and a boundary off Ferguson, who gave just one run in his first set of five. The brisk 51-run partnership came to an end when Thompson holed out to Tom Hartley for 27.

Northern Superchargers moved to 122/4 after 75 balls. Simpson and Vilas maintained the scoring tempo, adding 40 runs from the following three sets of five. Carlos Brathwaite brought on Finn, and Simpson launched a stunning attack. The wicketkeeper-batsman smashed a six off the first ball. He dispatched the next four deliveries, which included a no-ball, to the boundary. Finn conceded another extra, and Simpson finished the set of five with another four.

Simpson reached his half-century in 21 balls and moved to 66 after the 29-run carnage in Finn’s third set of five. A perfect yorker from Ferguson broke the sensational partnership, which mustered 90 runs from 36 balls. A boundary in the final ball from Brydon Carse brought up the 200 for Northern Superchargers. Simpson remained unbeaten on 71 off just 28 balls.

The mammoth run-chase didn’t begin well for Manchester Originals. They lost both their openers in the powerplay. Matty Potts cleaned up Salt and took the catch to dismiss Joe Clarke. Overseas batsman Colin Munro got off the mark with a boundary but edged one to Simpson a few balls later. The Old Trafford-based side lost Colin Ackermann after Kohler-Cadmore took an excellent diving catch.

Manchester Originals were reduced to 59/5 after Tom Lammonby, who managed to hit a four and clear the ropes off Adil Rashid, went back to the pavilion for 12. Stand-in captain Brathwaite hammered three sixes in five balls. But a sharp catch from Simpson off Rashid’s bowling saw the West Indies all-rounder depart for 21.

Hartley and Harrison were dismissed in the space of three balls as Manchester Originals plunged to 104/8 after 82 balls. A few big hits from Finn and Ferguson helped the franchise reduce the margin of defeat. Northern Superchargers bowled out the visitors in the 99th ball. Ben Raine picked up two wickets in his third set to finish with figures of 3/15.

NOS 200/5 in 100 balls (J Simpson 71*, D Vilas 36; L Ferguson 2/37)

MNR 131 all out in 99 balls (C Brathwaite 21; B Raine 3/15; D Willey 2/25)

Player of the Match

Only 35 balls were left in the innings when Simpson arrived at the crease. The home fans would have hoped that their team would post around 160-170. But the 33-year-old had other plans. He hammered Manchester Original bowlers to all parts of the ground. Simpson hit 11 fours, five of them came in Finn’s third set of five, and two sixes in the match.

Top Fantasy XI

J Simpson (114 pts), B Raine (81 pts), A Rashid (74 pts), D Willey (71 pts), L Ferguson (69 pts), S Finn (61 pts), T Kohler-Cadmore (47 pts), D Vilas (44 pts), M Ur Rahman (41 pts), J Thompson (38 pts), C Ackermann (38 pts)