Sam Curran starred with both ball and bat as his all-round performance helped Oval Invincibles beat Southern Brave at Southampton and consolidate their position at the top of the points table. Sam Curran was a determined man and wanted to create an impact for his side and he did it with aplomb. First with the ball, Sam Curran picked up 3/21 in 18 balls alongside Rashid Khan’s 3/20 in 20 balls restricted the home side to 133 all out in 98 balls.
In the chase, after losing both openers cheaply Sam Curran combined with Jordan Cox as both scored half-centuries. Cox got out towards the end but Sam Curran stayed unbeaten on 50 off 32 balls as Oval Invincibles got over the line with 7 wickets in hand and 11 balls to spare. Oval with this win are on top of the points table with 16 points having 4 wins and a loss in 5 games.
Sam Curran & Rashid Khan’s 3-wicket haul skittles Southern Brave out for 133.Â
Put into bat first, Leus du Plooy and captain James Vince came out to open the batting for Southern Brave while Jason Behrendorff had ball in hand for Oval Invincibles. Jason bowled a decent first set and decided to bowl another. While captain James Vince hit him for a boundary Jason hit back getting rid of the captain for 7 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name.
Jason bowled a good length delivery around the fourth stump line angling across. Vince looked to play the expansive drive away from his body and got a thick outside edge that carried to Tom Curran at short third man who took a good low catch at the edge of the circle. Jason Roy came to the crease next as Jordan Clark got the ball in his hand. Du Plooy welcomed Clark with a maximum. He hit another boundary off Clark to end the set.
Jason Behrendorff came back again and got the other opener out as du Plooy fell for 13 off 7 balls with a boundary and maximum to his name. Jason bowled a good length delivery around fourth stump from over the wicket. Du Plooy swung his bat across the line and got a top edge that flew over the keeper’s head. Tom Curran at short third man kept his eyes on the ball and ran backwards to take a brilliant running catch with both hands. Laurie Evans came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a boundary off Jason.
Tom Curran came into bowl the final set of powerplay. Evans hit Tom away for a boundary but the bowler hit back getting rid of Evans for 8 off 7 balls with 2 boundaries to his name. Tom bowled a good length delivery around off-stump, Evans gave himself room and exposed the stumps. He missed the square cut as the ball tailed back in a shade to crash onto the off-stump. James Coles came out to bat next as at the end of powerplay, Southern Brave were 32/3 in 25 balls.
Jordan Clark bowled a tidy set troubling the batters. Jason Behrendorff also bowled a decent set to complete his spell as Rashid Khan was introduced into the attack now. Rashid struck immediately getting rid of Roy for 5 off 11 balls. Rashid tossed it up fuller around leg stump, Roy got down on one knee and looked to play the reverse sweep and probably got an under edge and wore it on the left boot which lobbed up in the air and Billings took a simple catch. TV umpire was called to check the bump ball situation. Replays showed there was spike and no bump ball and OUT loaded on the big screen.
Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and fell first ball to Rashid Khan as he had two in two balls. Rashid tossed it up around off, which was a leggie from Rashid. Bracewell got down on one knee and looked to play the paddle sweep. He missed it completely and the ball crashed onto the stumps. Hilton Cartwright came out to bat next and survived the hat-trick ball. Rashid was on a roll as he now got rid of Coles off 7 off 6 balls as he picked up his third wicket in 5 balls.
Rashid bowled flatter on a length around leg, Coles hung back and looked to help it away down to the fine leg fence. He missed it on the inside edge and wears it high on the front pad. The umpire gave it NOT OUT but looked close and the DRS overturned the decision as three reds flashed and Coles had to go. Jordan Thompson came out to bat next as Brave were in tatters. Rashid was told to bowl back-to-back sets as Cartwright got a boundary away off Rashid to break the shackles.
The 50 came up for Brave in 45 balls. Jordan Thompson showed some intent as he hit Tom Curran for a boundary and then a maximum in the 10th set. After 50 balls at the halfway stage of the innings, Southern Brave were 64/6. Nathan Sowter came into the attack as Thompson showed great intent hitting him for a boundary down the ground. Rashid Khan came back as Thompson got a streaky boundary away off the veteran bowler. Sam Curran was finally introduced into the attack.
Sam Curran struck straightaway as he got rid of Jordan Thompson for 24 off 13 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. Sam bowled a touch fuller and slower delivery outside off-stump, the left hander looked to smash it over mid-off but lost his shape and his bottom hand came off the bat. He edged it straight to the keeper. Craig Overton came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Cartwright managed to get a boundary away off Sam Curran. Rashid Khan came back and bowled a tidy 15th set as he completed his spell as well. After 75 balls, Southern Brave were 94/7. Cartwright took Sowter on and hit him for a boundary and a maximum as the 100 came up in 77 balls. Cartwright hit Tom Curran for a boundary as well. Sam Curran struck again as he got rid of Hilton Cartwright for 42 off 30 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name.
Curran nailed the yorker and bowled at the leg stump line, Cartwright moved his front leg across and looked to flick at it but was a tad late to get his bat down as the ball went on to uproot the leg stump from the groove. Jofra Archer came out to bat next. Archer managed to get a boundary away as well. Sam Curran was given the chance to bowl the last set and he got rid of Archer for 5 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name.
Curran bowled a low full toss and too slow from the left-arm pacer. Archer waited for an eternity before swinging across the line and he mistimed it towards deep midwicket where the fielder Donovan Ferreira ran in and completed a fine low catch. Tymal Mills walked out to bat at 11 and got a streaky boundary away off Sam Curran. The last wicket fell courtesy of a run out.
Sam bowled a slower delivery on length and down leg side, Mills swung hard and failed to get any bat to it. The batters went for a quick single but Billings passed the ball to Sam Curran who rolled it onto the stumps as Mills was short of his ground. Mills fell for 4 off 2 balls with a boundary to his name while Craig Overton was on 9* off 11 balls. 9 extras given by the fielding side as Southern Brave were bowled out for 133 in 98 balls.
Rashid Khan was the pick of the bowlers for Oval Invincibles with figures of 3/20 in 20 balls. He was ably supported by Sam Curran who chipped in with 3/21 in 18 balls. Jason Behrendorff was superb at the top finishing with 2/20 in 20 balls. Tom Curran got a wicket in his 1/37 in 20 balls. Jordan Clark gave away 13 runs in 10 balls while Nathan Sowter gave away 20 runs in 10 balls. There was one run out in the innings. This meant Oval Invincibles needed 134 runs to win off 100 balls to consolidate their position at the top of points table.
Sam Curran & Jordan Cox’s 50s Takes Oval Invincibles Over The Line. Â
Chasing 134 for the win, Will Jacks and Tawanada Muyeye came out to open the batting for Oval Invincibles while Craig Overton had ball in hand for Southern Brave. Overton got rid of Jacks in the first set dismissing him for 1 off 4 balls. Overton bowled a touch fuller and at the stumps, Jacks charged down and swung at it but mistimed it straight up in the night sky. Archer at mid-on settled underneath it and took a good catch. Jordan Cox came out to bat next.
Cox hit Overton for a boundary to get his innings going. Jofra Archer came into the attack next as Muyeye hit him for a cracking shot through extra covers. Muyeye hit another boundary off Overton. But Overton hit back getting rid of Muyeye for 9 off 9 balls with two boundaries to his name. Overton bowled a full length delivery on the stumps, Muyeye leant forward for an on-drive but got it off the cue end of the bat and chipped it to mid-on. Archer inside the ring dived forward and got his hands on it, but the ball popped out with him taking it on the second attempt.
Sam Curran came out to bat next and got off the mark with a couple of runs. Curran hit Overton to get his first boundary. Jofra Archer bowled a tidy set troubling both the batters as at the end of powerplay, Oval Invincibles were 27/2 off 25 balls. Tymal Mills came into the attack soon after the powerplay as Cox took him on hitting him for a boundary followed by a maximum and hit another boundary off Mills.
Jordan Thompson was introduced into the attack and greeted with consecutive boundaries by Sam Curran. The 50 came up in 33 balls as Cox was also in the groove hitting Thompson for another boundary. Craig Overton came and bowled a decent set to complete his spell. James Coles came into the attack next and started his spell decently. Jordan Cox broke the shackles a little bit as he hit Archer for a boundary. After 50 balls at the halfway stage of the chase, Oval Invincibles were 70/2 chasing 134 for the win and required 64 off the last 50 balls.
Michael Bracewell was greeted with a maximum from Sam Curran. Jordan Cox then took the attack to Tymal Mills dispatching him for a boundary and followed that up with a maximum. Laurie Evans missed a stumping chance off Coles as Curran got a reprieve. Curran soon hit Coles for a maximum to bring up the 100 for Oval Invincibles in 69 balls. Cox soon reached his half-century in 33 balls as he was showing his rich vein of form.
After 75 balls, Oval Invincibles were well-placed at 108/2 and needed a further 26 runs off 25 balls. Curran hit Thompsn for a boundary before going off strike while Cox hammered Thompson through midwicket for a boundary. Tymal Mills gave Southern Brave something to cheer about as he got rid of Jordan Cox for 56 off 37 balls with 7 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Mills bowled from over the wicket, short and wide outside off with width offered. Cox stood tall and threw his hands at it to slap it powerfully but found Cartwright at short extra cover who took a sharp catch with fingers pointing upwards.
Captain Sam Billings came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary off Mills. He managed to get a streaky boundary away off Mills as well. Billings hit Thompson for a boundary before Sam Curran survived a run out chance as the direct hit missed the stumps. The winning runs came off the bat of Sam Curran as he got a brace to get to his fifty off 32 balls as Oval Invincibles got over the line with 7 wickets and 11 balls to spare. Curran’s innings had 4 fours and 2 sixes in his name while Billings was unbeaten on 13 off 7 balls with 3 boundaries to his name. 5 extras given by the fielding side.
Craig Overton bowled well for his 2/21 in 20 balls. Tymal Mills picked up 1/37 in 15 balls. Jofra Archer bowled a miserly spell but was wicketless in his 0/19 in 20 balls. James Coles finished with 0/16 in 15 balls. Jordan Thompson gave away 31 runs in 14 balls while Michael Bracewell gave away 8 runs in 5 balls. So, Oval win by 7 wickets and for his all-round performance and display, Sam Curran was awarded the Player of the Match.
So, Oval with this win consolidate their top spot and now have 16 points from 5 games 4 ahead of second-placed team while Southern Brave stays in 4th place despite the loss that they suffered as they have 8 points from games.
What Lies Ahead.Â
The bandwagon moves to Trent Bridge in Nottingham where Trent Rockets will host Manchester Originals at 11PM IST on 19th August. Rockets are currently in second place with 12 points from 4 games and they will be up against Originals who are in 5th place with 8 points from 5 games. A crucial game coming up for both sides.
Things are heating up with each passing day in Hundred 2025. Teams will be jostling for positions as the tournament heads to the business end. The players will look to shine and perform their best as we go along entertaining fans and followers alike.