Cox and Curran blast Invincibles to staggering win
- BBC News
Jordan Cox hit his fourth consecutive score over 40 in this seasons Hundred
The Hundred mens competition, The Kia Oval
Trent Rockets 171-7 (100 balls): Root 76 (41); Rashid 2-19
Oval Invincibles 173-4 (89 balls): Cox 58* (32), S Curran 54 (24); Ahmed 2-25
Invincibles win by six wickets
Spectacular fifties from Jordan Cox and Sam Curran fired Oval Invincibles to a thrilling six-wicket victory over Trent Rockets in a table-topping clash in The Hundred.
Cox hammered an unbeaten 58 from 32 balls and Curran struck 54 from 24, as the Invincibles hit a remarkable 103 runs from 28 deliveries to drive to victory with 11 balls to spare.
Opener Joe Root struck a season-best 76 as Rockets reached 171-7 and the visitors looked well-placed in their reply when they had their opponents 70-2 after 60 balls.
However, Cox and Curran launched a superb turnaround from that point, adding 51 from the next 10 legitimate deliveries.
The pair smashed six sixes and a four between them as they took 19 off David Willey and 32 from Sam Cook, who bowled the most expensive five-ball set in mens Hundred history.
Curran reached his fifty from 22 balls, but fell before the close, caught on the ropes off Rehan Ahmed.
Cox pushed on, reaching his own half-century from 30 deliveries, guiding his side home alongside Donovan Ferreira and Sam Billings.
The win near guarantees Invincibles a play-off spot and offers further evidence as to why the two-time defending champions remain the team to beat in the mens competition.
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Punishment for Cook in most expensive set
Coxs season started quietly as he was dismissed for single-figure scores in his first two innings for Invincibles.
But from that point he has burst into flame, with scores of 44 against Birmingham Phoenix, a stunning 86 not out from 29 balls against Welsh Fire, and 56 facing Southern Brave.
He moves top of the competitions run-scoring charts, with 256 from six matches, while he also leads the six-hitting table. having struck four against Rockets.
Meanwhile Curran has back-to-back fifties of his own having reached 50 not out in the win against Brave.
His innings featured two fours and six sixes, and, while he went for 0-41 in the Rockets innings, he remains the competitions second-highest wicket taker.
WinViz gave Invincibles a 9% chance of victory at the 60-ball mark, but the duos brilliant innings turned the match decisively.
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Joe Roots batting his brilliant best
Root had managed a high score of 27 in his five preceding innings this season, with three single-figure scores, but opened the Rockets innings in combative mood.
He lashed Jason Behrendorff for five fours in his opening 10-ball set and passed his previous season high score from the 12th ball of the innings.
A six over long-off brought him within sight of his second Hundred half-century, and he brought up the landmark off 24 balls with a cut four off Saqib Mahmood.
He continued to torment Behrendorff, striking the left-armer for consecutive fours through square upon his return to the attack, and looked set to bring up the first century of this seasons competition.
However, his innings was brought to a conclusion from the 80th ball of the innings when he was bowled by Rashid Khan attempting an uncharacteristic heave across the line.
Its a bottom-of-the-table contest in the womens Hundred as Welsh Fire, who are already eliminated, take on Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston at 15:00 BST.
The mens game follows at 18:30 BST with Fire needing a win to keep their very slim qualification hopes alive while a victory for Phoenix, who are fifth, would boost their top-three chances.
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