OI vs LS | Oval Invincibles prevail in London Derby to continue run on top of points table

‌Oval Invincibles went one step closer to automatic qualification for the final of The Hundred Men’s 2025 campaign with a comprehensive six-wicket win over London Spirit at The Oval on Monday. Will Jacks and Jordan Cox set the chase up with quickfire knocks before Sam Curran and Donovan Ferreira’s entertaining cameos saw the home side prevail in the London Derby and continue their run at the top of the points table. After their group proceedings, the Invincibles are well-placed with 24 points from six wins in eight matches, four ahead of the Trent Rockets and Northern Superchargers, who both have a game in hand.

After being put into bat, the Spirit were off to a good start, courtesy of opener Jamie Smith’s 15-ball 28, which included four fours and a six. But his dismissal in the last ball of the fourth set triggered a collapse as the visitors slipped from 35/0 to 88/5 in the space of 10 overs. However, the all-rounder duo of Jamie Overton and Ryan Higgins took the side past the 100-run mark, lending some respectability to their total. The pair added 54 runs for the sixth wicket in just 28 balls as the Spirit ended their batting essay at 152/7 in their allocated 100 balls. Overton hit two fours and sixes to top score for the side with 31 off 18 balls, while Higgins had four fours and a six in his 15-ball 28. Leg-spinner Nathan Sowter was the best bowler for the home side with figures of 2/23 in 20 balls, including the wickets of Kane Williamson and Ashton Turner, while Tom Curran accounted for Smith and Overton to end with 2/27 in his four sets.

The home team’s chase started on an awful note with opener Tawanda Muyeye being dismissed by Richard Gleeson for a golden duck in the second over of the game, with the score reading just five. But that dismissal did not affect the hosts with new batter Cox announcing his arrival with a four and six in Gleeson’s same over. Fellow opener Jacks was not to be left behind as he smashed two sixes and a four in the next two overs as Invincibles ended the 25-ball powerplay strongly at 45/1. The pair kept the scoreboard ticking as they accumulated 19 runs in the next overs, with spin being immediately introduced after the powerplay. Left-arm spinner Liam Dawson broke the 64-run partnership when he dismissed Jacks, with Ollie Pope completing a good catch in the deep. But Curran also started off with intent, smashing consecutive sixes off leg-spinner Jafer Chohan. Cox also kept the tempo up with two more boundaries in Overton’s next over as the home side went past the 100-run mark in the 12th over. Dawson (2/30) picked up his second wicket of the night as he ended Curran’s cameo of 27 from 13 balls. After getting pounded for a six and four, Overton had the last laugh when he castled Cox, with the Invincibles losing two set batters in two overs. Cox departed for a well-made 47 off just 27 balls, which included five fours and two sixes. But it was too late for a comeback from the visitors as the equation had already come down to 26 off 32 balls. Ferreira smashed two sixes and two fours during his whirlwind nine-ball 24 to power the side to 1153/4 with 22 balls to spare.