Invincibles win third Hundred mens title in a row
- BBC News
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Dangerous player - Sowter takes three wickets in his first seven deliveries
The Hundred mens competition final, Lords
Oval Invincibles 168-5 (100 balls): Jacks 72 (41), Cox 40 (28)
Trent Rockets 142-8 (100 balls): Stoinis 64 (37); Sowter 3-25
Invincibles won by 26 runs
Will Jacks hit a brilliant 72 from 41 balls as Oval Invincibles comfortably beat Trent Rockets by 26 runs in the mens final to claim their third straight Hundred title.
Having topped the table, Invincibles came in as clear favourites and lived up to their billing at Lords.
Jacks got them off to a flyer, hitting the first ball of the match down the ground for four, and went on to record the highest individual score in a mens Hundred final as Invincibles posted 168-5.
The England right-hander smashed seven fours and two sixes, including an enormous blow into the top tier to bring up a 32-ball fifty, and an 87-run partnership with Jordan Cox had Invincibles on their way to a huge total.
However, Rockets pulled it back well and conceding just 25 runs from the last 20 balls gave them hope at the halfway stage.
A competition-record successful chase at Lords was still required, though, and despite a relatively bright start, it quickly looked beyond them.
It was a leg-spinner who made the telling contribution, not Australia star Adam Zampa - flown in just for the final - but often overlooked compatriot Nathan Sowter.
He took three wickets for just three runs in his first 10-ball set, removing Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Banton to leave the Rockets reeling.
Marcus Stoinis launched an assault, making 64 from 37 balls, but it came too late and Rockets finished well short on 142-8.
Saqib Mahmood had Stoinis lbw from the last ball of the match to start the Invincibles celebrations after another victory at the home of cricket.
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Jacks hits 72 off 41 balls for Invincibles in Hundred final
It wasnt quite Steve Harmison, Rory Burns or Zak Crawley.
But as first balls as indicators of what is to follow, Jacks easing David Willeys first ball back down the ground for four wasnt half bad.
There was a confidence to the shot, the opener backing his timing, not trying to smash it out of the park and still knowing it would get to the boundary.
The fireworks could come later - and they did.
After bludgeoning his 51st and 52nd sixes - the second most overall in the history of The Hundred - the only surprise was that Jacks did not kick on to get his century.
A strike-rate of 175.60 shows he was not holding back but the control he showed from the first ball was there throughout as he took down the Rockets attack.
Stoinis slower ball eventually did for him with 15 balls left in the innings and, despite Invincibles usual explosion of boundaries late on not coming, the damage to the Rockets was done.
This is an Invincibles side that is just used to winning, a few early boundaries for Banton were not going to bother them.
Sowters three-wicket spell knocked the stuffing out of the Rockets and from there, the Invincibles - for the third year running - were able to largely cruise to victory.
