Recent Match Report – Invincibles vs Spirit 21st Match 2023

Oval Invincibles 189 for 4 (Jacks 68, Klaasen 46*) beat London Spirit 187 for 7 (Rossington 61, Jacks 2-22) by two runs

Oval Invincibles completed the double over London Spirit in a dramatic last-ball thriller to win by two runs and move clear at the top of the Men’s Hundred table.

The opening stages of the match were difficult for Invincibles as they failed to score from five balls, before Jason Roy and Jacks found their fluency in a partnership of 79. The visitors ended the stand when Mitchell had Roy caught behind with his first ball and then Jacks was taken in the deep by Zak Crawley.

Klaasen picked up from where Jacks left off as he scored four sixes and he powered Invincibles at the death, while Curran caught the mood of the match before being caught out on the boundary by Mitchell.

With the visitors chasing 189 for the win, the partnership of Crawley and Rossington was influential as they scored 58 for none at the end of the powerplay. Rossington reached his half-century off 22 and while Crawley struggled for his timing Spirit kept rolling as the partnership flourished to reduce the requirement to needing 99 off 55.

Invincibles got their breakthrough as Curran bowled Crawley off the thigh pad before Jacks claimed two quick wickets, including the key scalp of Rossington.

Spirit’s chase started to falter with Matthew Wade out for 19 off 15 balls as three wickets went down in eight balls. But Critchley then found his groove, smashing Curran for back-to-back sixes, before Wood slogged Zak Chappell for four to leave Spirit needing 17 off Curran’s final set of five.

Critchley clubbed the third ball into the crowd and thought he had done the same next ball only for Ross Whiteley to somehow palm it back into play. Curran’s no-ball then gave Spirit once last chance but it was too much for Wood as the hosts held on.