The scorecard alone might not capture the befuddlement and thrill we felt while calling this game. We have tried our best to put into words Sam Curran's jaw-dropping innings and the remarkable turn around from the Invincibles that we saw today. Feel free to scroll below and read through the summary of the match.
Believe us, we are still pinching ourselves! This might take a while to sink in. But one thing's for sure, the Invincibles look on track do a "threepeat". Will they be able to? Time will tell.
For now, it is the troika of Darpan Tikiya, Saptak Sanyal and Paras Yadav signing off. Cheers!
Highest Successful Run Chase in the Men's Hundred:
201/3- Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave (The Oval, 2023), (Target- 197)
193/2- Trent Rockets vs Manchester Originals (Manchester, 2022), (Target- 190)
182/6- Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles (Birmingham, 2025), (Target- 181)
174/4- Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles (Birmingham, 2021), (Target- 173)
173/4- Oval Invincibles vs Trent Rockets (The Oval, TODAY), (Target- 172)
Sam Curran (Hero of the Match):"I was batting on 7 off 12 or somewhat like that. But came back. Huge game. Probably two sides are with 16 points but yes happy with the margin.
In the 100-ball cricket, you know three or four sixes can change the things. Most importantly, a fantastic innings. They batted well. Rooty got the runs and George Linde finished well. We knew that it was a batting wicket. It is good to get the victory with 10 balls to spare.
We know that there are still a few more games left. The next game is at Headingley on Saturday. That is against one of the top teams. When you keep winning, you come up with confidence. You everyday turn up to the ground with crowd with a lot of confidence. Yes it might go the other way but you have the belief. We have a couple of days before next match. We have one home and away game left."
HERO OF THE MATCH: Sam Curran
1:43 AM IST, 9:13 PM local time: WHAT DID WE JUST SEE? This seems like a fever dream. About half an hour ago, when Trent Rockets called for a strategic timeout, their opponents seemed to have their backs against the ropes. Oval Invincibles needed 102 runs to win off 40 balls and until that point, they had made run-scoring seem like a chore. And yet, they have chased down the target with a staggering 12 balls to spare.
Sam Curran was at the fulcrum of the remarkable turnaround. His innings until then had moved along like an old-broken down car — stuttering on it's way to an agricultural 12-ball-7*. Post the timeout, he hurried like a race car on the German Autobahn. He finished with a stunning 54 off just 24 balls. The ball-striking he put on display in that little period was so stunning that Jordan Cox, who scored at a strike rate of 180 at the other end, seemed like a passenger. Donovan Ferreira's 5-ball-14* might not even be discussed. But he is making a habit of playing these little cameos, isn't he? All in all, it is a splendid victory that once again makes the Invincibles seem like the favourites for a third title.
Earlier, riding on Joe Root's exuberant 41-ball-76, the visitors had posted 171/7 off their 100 balls. Apart from the sprightly knock played by they Yorkshire man, George Linde's blitzkrieg towards the end was the stand out performance.
With the ball, Rashid Khan ruled the roost. He finished with outstanding figures of 2/19 accounting for the wickets of Tom Banton and Joe Root. His Rockets counterpart Rehan Ahmed too had an impressive outing with the ball, picking the wickets Will Jacks and Sam Curran.
18th Five
Oval Invincibles
173/4
Jordan Cox
58(32)
Sam Billings
1(1)
Ben Sanderson
1-21(14 b)
89b B Sanderson to J Cox
4 FOURRRR MOREEEE! Oval Invincibles have secured a memorable victory. At one point, it seemed that they will stay short of their target but the time-out changed everything. The batters showed incredible ball striking and the hosts are home with 11 balls to spare. A full delivery outside off. Cox gets the room again and he saw that Max Holden is standing a tad bit to his left after the boundary last ball. He shows the presence of mind by hitting it through the cover area. Holden gives the chase to his right but only to get defeated. Wonderful knock from Jordan Cox. WHAT A GAME!!
88b B Sanderson to J Cox
4 FOURRRR!! Sometimes it is not about wild bat swing or powerful whack. Deft touches can do the job. A full ball wide of off. Cox gets it away from his body and he opens the bat face to guide it through the left of Max Holden at deep cover point for a boundary.