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Oval Invincibles 161 for 5 (Curran 67*, Neesham 57*) beat Manchester Originals 147 for 6 (Holden 37, Jacks 2-11) by 14 runs
Unfortunately for Originals, when their previous night’s heroes of Phil Salt (who had set up that chase with 47 from 17 balls) and Buttler (who had finished it with an unbeaten 82 from 46) managed just 25 and 11 respectively, the game was as good as done.
Fittingly, it was Tom Curran who made the first breakthrough, extracting Salt at the end of the powerplay to cement his hold on the Match Hero award with figures of 1 for 25 from 20 deliveries. Barring a 22-ball stand of 42 between Jamie Overton and Max Holden, Invincibles rarely doubted thereafter that the trophy would be headed south of the river.
It’s worth noting the oldest Curran had started the summer operating solely as a batter for Surrey in the Vitality Blast on account of injuries restricting his bowling. And while his average of 17.61 had been nothing to write home about, 229 runs at a strike-rate of 143.12 spoke of a promise that had grown into something tangible in the course of the Hundred prior this blitz. He finishes Invincibles’ campaign with 175 runs at a strike rate of 175.
The scene when he arrived was one of top-order disarray. Ducks for Jason Roy and Sam Curran in consecutive deliveries (three and golden, respectively), a run-a-ball 5 from emergency overseas Paul Stirling, a leg-side strangle of skipper Sam Billings and then 15 off 15 from the usually devastating Will Jacks had the group-stage leaders reeling. Then came the outlandish fightback.
Neesham set the pace, with a brace of fours in three deliveries off the slingy right-arm of Zaman Khan before evoking memories of his brutal strike in the World Cup Final Super Over when flicking left-arm spinner Tom Hartley into the stands under Old Father Time for his one and only six. Curran, however, was the Nitrous Oxide, accelerating this stand with five spaced-out sixes among nine boundaries.
He raced to 36 off 18, clearing the leg-side boundary three times off Paul Walter, Josh Little and Jamie Overton. His fourth six was the most extraordinary, off the 82nd delivery of the night, as he uppercut Little over deep third to bring up a 26-ball half-century. HIs last, off the final ball of the innings, sent Zaman back over his head as he missed his yorker by inches to provide the exclamation point on a match-winning knock.
Knowing that the powerplay was Originals’ chance to get back ahead of the game, Salt was typically raucous out of the gate for his team, making 25 from 15 as the chasers found themselves on 33 for no loss, needing a further 129 from 80. Two balls later, however, Salt returned to the pavilion after skewing a length ball from Tom Curran to younger brother Sam, who tracked it from mid-off to complete the dismissal. Just 12 deliveries later, Buttler joined him after a subdued 11 off 15, leaving his side on 44 for 2.
It was left-arm spinner Danny Briggs who snared the big fish – no mean feat on his first appearance in the tournament. A tempter from around the wicket was charged and missed, with Buttler turning around just in time to see the bails light up after his middle stump had been knocked back.
Buttler was the first of three wickets to fall to spin in nine deliveries as Originals circled the drain. Wayne Madsen had just reversed Nathan Sowter for four when he under-edged onto his own stumps, and Sowter was then in the game at deep midwicket, relaying a catch back to himself as Laurie Evans attempted to deposit Will Jacks into the Tavern Stand. For a moment it looked as though Evans would survive as replays showed Sowter’s foot was in contact with the sponge, but not before he had already released the ball, which he then reclaimed with both feet on the right side of the boundary.
At the other end, Max Holden was valiantly raging against the squeeze, taking Sam Curran over long-on for six, before swiping consecutive fours off Sowter to the leg side and through cover after the dangerous Paul Walter had been castled by Jacks. When 15 runs were taken off Gus Atkinson’s third set – Holden using his pace to edge over third and scoop over fine leg – the ask of 59 off 25 looked just about doable, particularly with Overton’s propensity to clear the ropes.
But after Tom Curran had kept the pair to eight from balls 76 to 80, Sam struck the pads of a desperate Holden heaving across the line. Umpire Alex Wharf gave it not out, but Billings reviewed on the bowler’s insistence and was rewarded with an overturned decision and Holden departed for 37.
With 44 required from 15, Overton and Hartley could only find three more boundaries. When Sam Curran, with 23 to defend from the final five, restricted Overton to twos from the first two deliveries, the celebrations could begin in earnest.
The last delivery was a yorker, dug out by Hartley towards long-off. By the time he had reached the striker’s end for a cursory single, more meaningful celebrations had begun among those in turquoise on the field, in the dugout and dotted throughout the stands.
Having missed out on the knockout stages in the first two season, Oval Invincibles are 2023’s men’s Hundred champions.
Vithushan Ehantharajah is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
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