Oval Invincibles (OVI) picked up two points in the first match of the men’s competition of The Hundred after a nine-run win over Manchester Originals (MNR) at the Oval. Sam Billings struck a vital 49, and Sam Curran, Nathan Sowter, and Sunil Narine produced an impressive performance with the ball.
After winning the toss, Jos Buttler decided to bowl first, and it bore fruit as the hosts lost four wickets within the first 35 balls. Tom Hartley removed both the openers, while Fred Klaassen and Matt Parkinson grabbed a wicket each. However, OVI skipper Billings and Colin Ingram put together a 57-run stand, and a late blitz from Tom Curran – 29* off 18 balls – steered them to 145.
MNR, too, lost early wickets and was reduced to 24/2 in 21 balls. Narine picked up the key wicket of Buttler, and Colin Munro’s dismissal for 26 put them under further pressure. Carlos Brathwaite and Calvin Harrison led the fightback and added 53 runs for the sixth wicket, but it wasn’t enough as the visitors fell short by nine runs.
OVI 145/8 in 100 balls (S Billings 49, T Curran 29*; F Klaassen 3/23)
MNR 136/7 in 100 balls (C Brathwaite 37; N Sowter 2/18, S Curran 2/27)
Player of the Match
Billings came to the crease when his side lost three wickets for just 32 runs. Unlike Narine and Will Jacks, he didn’t try to dictate terms to the bowlers but focused on rotating the strike. The 30-year-old successfully overturned a caught-behind decision and started upping the tempo. The two spinners – Parkinson and Harrison – were taken to the cleaners by Billings. He fell one short of a deserving half-century but ensured OVI post a competitive target.
Top Fantasy XI
F Klaassen (82 pts), S Curran (70 pts), S Billings (69 pts), T Curran (63 pts), S Finn (62 pts), T Hartley (61 pts), N Sowter (61 pts), C Brathwaite (53 pts), C Ingram (46 pts), J Roy (44 pts), C Munro (35 pts)
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Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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