Invincibles bowl Spirit out for 80 in dominant win
- BBC News
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Khan and Curran impress as Invincibles beat Spirit in dominant win
The Hundred mens competition, Lords
London Spirit 80 all out (94 balls): Rashid Khan 3-11, S Curran 3-18
Oval Invincibles 81-4 (69 balls): Jacks 24 (24); Dawson 2-9
Invincibles won by six wickets
London Spirit were bowled out for the second-lowest score by a mens team in The Hundred as Oval Invincibles claimed a thumping six-wicket win at Lords.
After opting to bat first, Spirit quickly found themselves in trouble and duly slumped to 80 all out after 94 balls.
Invincibles debutant Rashid Khan starred as he took 3-11, while England all-rounder Sam Curran claimed 3-18 - including a 47.1mph delivery, the slowest wicket-taking ball by a seamer in the history of the mens competition.
While the pitch was not straightforward to bat on, Invincibles knocked off the runs with 31 balls to spare, starting their title defence with a very convincing victory.
Jason Behrendorff set the tone for an impressive Oval Invincibles bowling and fielding effort with a miserly 10-ball opening set.
The Australian left-arm seamer returned to dismiss Spirit skipper Kane Williamson in his next five, by which time opener Keaton Jennings had already gone.
David Warner, making his Hundred debut, was starved of the strike in the powerplay and in trying to make up for lost time holed out off Jordan Clark for just nine.
That left Spirit 26-3, in bother but the damage was far from terminal. Enter Rashid Khan.
The Afghanistan leg-spinner - who also took three catches in the deep - struck with his third ball to remove Wayne Madsen in a 10-ball set that went for 10 runs, and proceeded to show off his full arsenal of deliveries, varying his pace to great effect.
He conceded just one more run in his next 10 balls. Liam Dawson was trapped plumb in front and Ryan Higgins dollied a catch to backward point as Spirits batters tried and failed to get to grips with the top T20 wicket-taker of all time.
Plenty of Rashids deliveries were significantly quicker than the ultra-slow balls being deployed by Curran.
The lack of pace seemed to throw off the Spirit batters completely and the left-armer removed Ashton Turner, who top-scored for Spirit with 21, with a 47.7mph ball before going even slower to bowl Richard Gleeson and end the innings.
With such a small total to chase, Invincibles were able to take their time on a tricky pitch and despite Spirit spinner Dawsons excellent 2-9, it was only a matter of when rather than if the holders would seal the win.
It was left to Donovan Ferreira to finish it off by clubbing Luke Wood for six from the 69th ball of the Invincibles innings.
Sam Curran outfoxed London Spirit with several extremely slow slower balls
Its up to Old Trafford on Wednesday as Manchester Originals take on Southern Brave in another double-header.
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