The story of the struggle
Morgan stepped down as England’s white-ball captain at the end of June with his last two innings for the national team’s back-to-back ducks against the Netherlands in one-day international cricket earlier that month. But the Spirit skipper rediscovered his form at The Kia Oval, hitting three sixes and five fours before being caught in the deep off Rhys Tolley as his side posted 171-6 off their 100 balls, a spell in which Zach Crowley had four shutouts. an 11-ball 21 up top.
The Hundred: Oval Invincibles vs London Spirit – score summary
London Spirit 171-6 off 100 balls – Morgan (47 off 28 balls), Lawrence (27 off 20 balls); Narine (2-25 off 20 balls), Tolley (1-26 off 20 balls) Oval Invincibles 168-7 from 100 balls – Cartwright (42 off 23 balls), Cox (39 off 30); Ellis (3-28 off 20 balls)
Invincibles opener Roy kept just one ball, beating Nathan Ellis (3-28 off 20 balls) at short third man as he took on his T20I struggles against England – the 32-year-old managed just 76 runs in six innings in that format this summer. – in The Hundred, but his team dealt a terrible blow in the run chase after initially slipping to 12-4 in 17 balls. Hilton Cartwright (42 off 23), Jordan Cox (39 off 30), Tom Curran (27 off 15) and Danny Briggs (29no off 11) dragged the Invincibles back into the chase with a string of boundaries and the hosts needed just nine from three balls when Briggs started the final set of five with fours off Jordan Thompson – but Thompson (2-31 off 20 balls) held his nerve. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Jason Roy’s poor run of form continued with a golden duck for Oval Invincibles against London Spirit The Invincibles’ sloppiness with the ball eventually cost them – they conceded 22 runs off the last 10 deliveries bowled and dispatched 14 extras, all told as the Spirit posted their highest score of the tournament. The Spirit finished bottom of the table in 2021 with just one win from eight, but have started this campaign with a win – just – under new coach Trevor Bayliss, who took over after the death of Shane Warne earlier this year. Tickets for The Hundred are selling fast! If you want to get in on the action, head over to thehundred.com/tickets
Man of the Match Nathan Ellis (3-28 off 20 balls)
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player London Spirit’s Nathan Ellis couldn’t hide his smile after helping his side overcome the Oval Invincibles on his Hundred debut The London Spirit all-rounder dismissed Roy and Sam Billings (1) in the first 17 balls and returned later to remove Cartwright… Ellis said: “A couple of lads got a bit hot under the collar there at the end but it’s great to go on the road with a win. The atmosphere was obviously great and it was a tight game. I don’t know if I deserved that award, some lads went down the house and led us to a wonderful set! “It’s unreal [to work with Morgan]. We’ve only had a few days to go but he’s already made his mark – and he made his mark on me on the pitch tonight as he’s a calming influence and someone I rely on.”
What they said – “This was close to international cricket”
Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player London Spirit skipper Eoin Morgan likened the atmosphere in his first game against the Oval Invincibles to an England international. London Spirit captain Eoin Morgan: “I love playing in games like this. You learn more about how well lads deal with pressure. Anyone can bowl or hit a six when there’s no pressure. I felt so close to an international game as I have ever felt in the domestic arena, apart from the IPL in India.” Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings admitted it wasn’t his side’s best performance and let the first game rust. Oval Invincibles’ Danny Briggs: “It was one of those games where we could have lost in the long run. We got it close and it was disappointing but everyone will be better for that game. The crowd was really anxious too which was great. Just we have to learn. Bowling-wise, we weren’t far off, but they probably got 10 runs too many. With the bat, we’ve got some serious strikers in this dressing room and we’ll come back strong.”
What’s next?
Friday 5 August 18:00
Friday’s game, the third of this year’s tournament, sees Manchester Originals host Pennines rivals Northern Superchargers at Emirates Old Trafford, with coverage kicking off at 6pm. on Sky Sports The Hundred and Sky Sports Mix before first ball at 6.30pm. The Originals star players include captain Jos Buttler plus Phil Salt and Matt Parkinson, while the Superchargers have Adil Rashid, Harry Brook, David Willey and West Indies veteran Dwayne Bravo among their squad. Sunday 7 August 13:30 Monday 8 August 18:00 London duo Invincibles and Sprit return to action on Sunday and Monday respectively. The Invincibles visit Cardiff to take on the Welsh Fire on Sunday, with the Spirit then hosting the Originals at Lord’s a day later. Watch every match from The Hundred this summer live on Sky Sports. The women’s competition kicks off on Thursday August 11 with defending champions Oval Invincibles taking on Northern Superchargers at The Kia Oval (6.30pm kick-off). Tickets for The Hundred are selling fast! If you want to get in on the action, head over to thehundred.com/tickets
