Defending champions Oval Invincibles continued their merry ways in Hundred 2025 as they dished out another clinical performance to beat second-placed Trent Rockets by 6 wickets with 11 balls left. Oval Invincibles have been unbeaten in their last 5 games chasing and proved that once again at the Oval. Trent Rockets put into bat first rode on a Joe Root masterclass of 76 off 41 balls to post a competitive 171/7 in 100 balls with George Linde playing a blinder towards the end as well.
In reply, Oval Invincibles showed why they are the chase masters as they timed the run chase beautifully. They rode on an unbeaten half-century from Jordan Cox and a fiery 54 off 24 balls from Sam Curran alongside 17 extras gifted by the fielding side to get over the line by 6 wickets with 11 balls left. Oval with this win are on top of the points table with 20 points 4 points ahead of Trent Rockets.
Joe Root’s masterful 76 propels Trent Rockets to 171/7.
Put into bat first, Tom Banton and Joe Root came out to bat for Trent Rockets while Jason Behrendorff had ball in hand for Oval Invincibles. Joe Root managed to get himself going by hitting two boundaries although both were false shots, but he took it with both hands. Saqib Mahmood came to bowl the next set as Root this time hit a controlled shot for a boundary. Mahmood got rid of Root via LBW but the bowler overstepped and the free hit was put away for a boundary by Root, He hit another boundary off Mahmood through covers for a boundary.
Root then took on Behrendorff and hit a reverse ramp over Billings for a boundary. Tom Curran came into the attack next as Root was on his zone now as he hit him for a boundary as well before Curran conceded 4 leg byes to the batting team. Tom Banton finally joined in the act as he hit Curran for a boundary as well. Sam Curran came to bowl the last set of powerplay and was greeted with a boundary from Joe Root. After 25 balls of powerplay, Trent Rockets were well-placed at 55/0.
Rashid Khan was introduced straight after the powerplay and he provided the breakthrough for Oval Invincibles getting rid of Tom Banton for 9 off 11 balls with a boundary to his name. Rashid tossed it up at the middle, Banton missed the sweep but missed it as the ball pinged him on his pads. The umpire said NOT OUT but Rashid urged his team to go upstairs and got the decision changed in their favour. Rehan Ahmed came out to bat at 3 and got off the mark straightaway.
More spin came in as Nathan Sowter came into the attack as Root hit him for the first maximum of the day over long-off. Rashid bowled a miserly set keeping things tight. Saqib Mahmood came back and was greeted by Root for a boundary over backward point as the talisman got to his fifty off just 24 balls. Rehan joined in the fun as he dispatched Sam Curran for a boundary through extra cover. After 50 balls at the halfway stage of the innings, Trent Rockets were 82/1.
Rehan managed to get a boundary away off Sowter. He then took Rashid Khan on slamming him for a maximum over cow corner and a boundary along the ground through midwicket region. The 100 came up for Trent Rockets in 59 balls. Sowter broke the budding stand getting rid of Rehan Ahmed for 28 off 23 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name.
Sowter bowled a good length flatter trajectory outside off-stump, Rehan opened his shoulders and whacked it to the left of the bowler with a flat bat. Sowter swiftly moved in the direction of the ball and took the catch as the ball stuck in his palms. Tom Moores came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Tom Curran bowled a decent set. Root then took on Jason and hit him for consecutive boundaries before Jason hit back and got rid of Tom Moores for 4 off 4 balls.
Jason bowled a back of a length delivery that crammed the batter up for room. Moores had opened his shoulders in advance and tried to slam it straight and picked out Will Jacks at long-on. After 75 balls, Trent Rockets were 122/3 with Marcus Stoinis joining Joe Root in the middle. Rashid Khan came to bowl his final set and off his final ball got rid of the form batter Joe Root for 76 off 41 balls with 11 fours and one six to his name.
Rashid bowled a quicker leg break with an inward turn, Root cleared his front leg early to expose all his stumps and went for the slog sweep. But he was beaten as the ball went through to clatter the leg stump. Captain David Willey came out to bat next. Sam Curran returned to the attack and was swatted away by Willey over long leg for the maximum. Tom Curran struck for his side getting rid of Willey for 7 off 3 balls with a maximum to his name.
Tom bowled a hard length delivery from over the wicket angled away towards outside off-stump. Willey tried to whack it towards cow corner and ended up holing out to the man at deep midwicket fence. Donovan Ferreira who was placed there came in a few yards and took the catch. George Linde came out to bat next and got off the mark. Stoinis then took the attack to Tom launching him flat and hard at deep midwicket fence.
George Linde was a man on a mission as he took the attack to Sam Curran. He hit Curran for back-to-back sixes to start the set and then hit him for a boundary as well. Marcus Stoinis was given OUT LBW to Sam but he reviewed it and the ball was pitching outside the leg stump and so the decision was overturned to NOT OUT. Linde then pulled Tom over square leg for a maximum. But Tom ended Linde’s brilliant cameo of 25 off 8 balls with one boundary and 3 sixes to his name.
Tom bowled a fuller delivery from over the wicket at the stumps, Linde stood deep in the crease and attempted the flick shot but ended up closing the bat face early. The ball went all the way to Jordan Cox at long-off who made no mistake. Sam Hain came to the middle next. Then there was a run out as well as Stoinis was short of his crease while attempting the second run as Cox was brilliant in the field at long-on. Stoinis went for 12 off 10 balls with a maximum to his name. Max Holden came in and got a single off the final ball of the set as Trent Rockets finished with 171/7 in 100 balls. 9 extras given by the fielding side.
Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Oval Invincibles picking up 2/19 in 20 balls. Tom Curran chipped in with 2/37 in 20 balls while Jason Behrendorff got a wicket in his 1/28 in 15 balls and Nathan Sowter finished with 1/17 in 15 balls. Saqib Mahmood gave away 25 runs in 10 balls while Sam Curran leaked 41 in 20 balls. This meant defending champions Oval Invincibles needed 172 runs to win off 100 balls to stay at the top spot.
Jordan Cox & Sam Curran’s Explosive 50s takes Oval Invincibles over the line.
Chasing 172 for the win, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye walked out to open the batting for Oval Invincibles while captain David Willey had ball in hand for Trent Rockets. Muyeye got the first boundary of the innings as he creamed it through extra covers. Ben Sanderson on debut took the new ball from the other end. He gifted 4 leg byes away to the batting side before Jacks hit an authoritative shot for a boundary through extra cover. Samuel James Cook came onto bowl next and bowled a miserly set.
He bowled another set back-to-back and kept things under check. David Willey came back to bowl the final set of powerplay and Muyeye struck him for consecutive boundaries. But the Rockets skipper hit back getting rid of Muyeye for 20 off 13 balls with 3 boundaries to his name. Change of pace did it for Willey as he bowled a good length around off slower through the air. Muyeye went for a whip but got deceived. He got a top edge as Willey ran close to the stumps of the striker’s end and completed a simple catch. Jordan Cox came out to bat at 3. At the end of 25 balls of powerplay, Oval Invincibles were 33/1.
Marcus Stoinis came into the attack post the powerplay and bowled a decent set. Rehan Ahmed was introduced into the attack next. He got rid of Will Jacks for 9 off 15 balls with a boundary to his name. Rehan bowled a good length delivery. Jacks planted his front foot outside off-stump and swished across the line and got a top edge. Holden at deep square leg made no mistake in taking the catch. Sam Curran came out to bat next.
Jordan Cox then slog swept Rehan Ahmed over square leg for the maximum. He then ramped Marcus Stoinis over the keeper’s head for a boundary. He was on a mission as he now hit Sanderson for a maximum down the ground over long-on. After 50 balls, at the halfway stage of the chase Oval Invincibles were 60/2 and now needed a further 112 off 50 balls.
Rehan Ahmed came back and Cox nailed him for a straight boundary down the ground. George Linde came into the attack next and bowled a tidy set as pressure was building on the defending champions. Cox then hit Willey over deep fine leg for the maximum. Sam Curran finally joined the party as he smashed back-to-back maximums off Willey.
Cook came back into the attack and gifted 5 wides as a bonus to the batting side before Curran launched him over deep square leg for the maximum as the 100 came up in 66 balls. Curran was not done there as he hit Cook for a boundary and then hit him for a maximum which turned out to be a no ball. The free hit ball also went the distance for the maximum. There was a run out appeal but Cox made it to his crease. 31 runs came off this set and changed the complexion of the game.
George Linde was the next bowler to suffer the Curran show as Sam hit him for a flat maximum over long-on and then hit a boundary to the third man fence to get to his fifty in just 22 balls. After 75 balls, Oval Invincibles had catapulted to 134/2 and now needed 38 off 25 balls as the defending champions were back in the match. Rehan Ahmed provided a timely breakthrough for the Rockets getting rid of Sam Curran for 54 off 24 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes to his name.
Rehan from around the wicket bowled a good length at the middle and leg stump and it turns in. Sam Curran cleared his front leg and opened his stance to pull hard and got the timing but not the elevation. The deep square leg fielder moved to his right and took a good catch. Donovan Ferreira came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway as Rehan finished his spell.
Jordan Cox decided now to take on the accelerator role as he hit Stoinis for a maximum and followed that up with a boundary as he reached his fifty off 30 balls. Donovan Ferreira decided to join in the fun and smashed back-to-back maximums of Stoinis to end the set where 25 runs came off it and now the defending champions needed a mere 8 runs off 15 balls. Sanderson came back and got a consolation wicket off Ferreira for 14 off 5 balls with 2 sixes to his name.
Sanderson bowled a full ball outside off-stump from over the wicket. He missed the yorker but the wicket luck was with him. Ferreira gave himself room and looked to smack it hard and hit it with power but found Stoinis at covers who took a good catch. Sam Billings the captain came out to bat next and got off the mark with a risky single. Jordan Cox decided enough was enough as he smashed back-to-back boundaries off Sanderson to end the game. Cox remained unbeaten on 58 off 32 balls with 5 fours and 4 sixes to his name while Billings was unbeaten on 1 as Oval Invincibles got over the line in 89 balls with 6 wickets in hand. 17 extras gifted by the fielding side.
Rehan Ahmed was by far the pick of the bowlers for Trent Rockets with figures of 2/25 in 20 balls. Ben Sanderson got a wicket on debut finishing with 1/21 in 14 balls while David Willey got a wicket for his 1/37 in 15 balls. Samuel James Cook gave 38 in 15 balls which includes 31 in a set. Marcus Stoinis gave away 31 in 15 balls which includes 25 in a set while George Linde gave 16 runs in 10 balls.
Sam Curran for his game-changing innings was awarded the Player of the Match Award. Oval Invincibles with this win stay on top with 20 points from 6 games as they consolidate their position with 5 wins. Trent Rockets stays in second place with 16 points from 6 games with 4 wins and 2 losses as they are now 4 points behind the defending champions.
What Lies Ahead.
The bandwagon moves to Edgbaston in Birmingham where Birmingham Phoenix hosts Welsh Fire at 11PM IST. Birmingham are in 5th place currently with 8 points from 5 games with 2 wins and 3 losses while Welsh Fire are at the bottom of the points table with just 4 points from 5 games with 1 win and 4 losses. Important game for both teams especially for Welsh Fire.
Can Welsh Fire finally get a win under their belt? Or will Birmingham stream roll their opponents at home? We will find out when the game gets underway.
Also Read: Hundred 2025: David Willey’s 3-Wicket Haul Leads Trent Rockets To An Emphatic Win.