Bairstows blitz in vain as Spirit edge past Fire
- BBC News
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Bairstow drops sitter to keep Smith at the crease
The Hundred mens competition, Cardiff
London Spirit 163-5 (100 balls): Warner 70* (45); Hull 2-36
Welsh Fire 155-6 (100 balls): Bairstow 86* (50); Worrall 2-31
London Spirit won by eight runs
Jonny Bairstows astonishing unbeaten 86 from 50 balls was in vain as London Spirit edged a tense eight-run win over Welsh Fire in The Hundred.
Fire needed 31 from the final 10 balls and Bairstow hit back-to-back sixes off Englands Jamie Overton to keep his side within touching distance, but seamer Luke Wood held his nerve to close out the win from the last set of five at Sophia Gardens.
The hosts were left to rue a top-order collapse to 55-6 - including Australia star Steve Smith falling for just three - as Bairstow was starved of the strike, facing just 18 of the first 50 balls of their pursuit of 164 to win.
Chris Green contributed 32 not out from 21 balls in a stunning partnership of 100 from just 53 balls with Bairstow, who whacked six fours and six sixes in his destructive knock.
The wicketkeeper had 28 from 27 balls before a remarkable acceleration that started with 21 runs scored from five balls of Wood, leaving the equation still an unlikely 70 off 30, which proved just enough for Spirit.
Their 163-5 was set up by opener David Warners unbeaten 70 from 45 balls, as they responded to being bowled out for just 80 in their first match.
Warner whacked eight fours and two sixes as he found support from Englands Jamie Smith, who added 26 from 14 balls, while Warners fellow Australian Ashton Turner chipped in with 24.
It means Fires mens and womens teams remain winless in the competition so far.
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Jacks and Muyeye hammer Originals as Invincibles win comfortably
The Hundred mens competition, The Oval
Manchester Originals 128 all out (100 balls): Salt 41 (32); Rashid 3-19
Oval Invincibles 129-1 (57 balls): Jacks 61 (26), Muyeye 59* (28)
Invincibles won by nine wickets
Elsewhere in Saturdays earlier game, Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye shared a blistering 114-run stand as defending champions Oval Invincibles inflicted a nine-wicket thrashing on Manchester Originals.
Having skittled the visitors for 128 at The Kia Oval, Invincibles bludgeoned their way to victory from 57 balls - the joint second-fastest win in the mens competition in terms of deliveries remaining - to maintain their perfect start to the tournament.
Muyeye finished unbeaten on 59 from 28 balls, while Jacks fell for 61 from 26 with just 15 required for victory.
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was the pick of the Invincibles bowlers, taking 3-19, while fast bowler Saqib Mahmood also impressed with 2-26.
After being put in to bat, Originals were in trouble early, with opener Matty Hurst and England star Jos Buttler both dismissed without scoring.
Captain Phil Salt smashed three sixes in his 41 from 32 balls and put on 50 with New Zealands Mark Chapman to give the away side hope before both fell to the irresistible Rashid.
The wickets kept tumbling and matters only got worse for the Originals with the ball as Jacks and Muyeye went to work.
Jacks was responsible for 21 of the 25 runs taken from Jimmy Andersons first 10 balls but the England legend was not alone in going the distance.
Every bowler was under threat as Jacks made the early running, hitting 10 fours and two sixes in total, before Muyeye joined the party and briefly overtook his opening partner.
It was 24-year-old Muyeye who reached his half-century first, from 22 balls - a delivery quicker than Jacks - and he was there at the end as a Jordan Cox boundary put the winless Originals out of their misery.
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Remarkable Jacks fielding stops Originals six
Its another four-game day on Sunday with double-headers in Southampton and Nottingham.
It starts at the Ageas Bowl with Southern Brave against Birmingham Phoenix (11:00/14:30 BST) before Trent Rockets face Northern Superchargers (14:30/ 18:00 BST) at Trent Bridge.
You can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
