S Poddar
In a thrilling start to The Hundred men’s competition at the Utilita Bowl, Southern Brave secured a commanding seven-wicket victory over London Spirit.
London Spirit, batting first, found themselves in early trouble, reeling at 49-5 after 48 balls. Craig Overton’s impressive bowling for Southern Brave resulted in three early wickets, putting the Spirit on the back foot. Despite the early setbacks, Dan Lawrence contributed 38 runs, and Liam Dawson’s explosive 45 off just 19 balls helped the Spirit reach a total of 138-9.
Southern Brave’s chase began with a strong performance from their opening batsmen. Captain James Vince and Dan Hughes shared a 95-run partnership for the first wicket. Vince, who scored 56, was eventually dismissed by Spirit captain Lawrence, but by then, the Brave needed just 22 runs from the final 28 balls. Leus du Plooy’s unbeaten 23 ensured the Brave crossed the finish line with 11 balls to spare.
Jofra Archer made a notable debut for Southern Brave, taking the wicket of seasoned West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell and finishing with figures of 1-24 from his 20 balls. Teenager Rehan Ahmed, playing in all three formats for England, was the only Brave bowler without a wicket, ending with 0-29 from his 20 balls. Tymal Mills added two wickets to his tally, becoming only the fourth bowler in the competition’s history to reach 25 wickets.
For the Spirit, Dawson’s unbeaten 45, featuring four fours and three sixes, marked his highest score in The Hundred. Vince’s half-century made him the seventh player to surpass 600 runs in the competition’s history. Opener Hughes impressed with 45 runs off 30 balls in his sole appearance, filling in for Finn Allen, who is currently playing in Major League Cricket.
Reflecting on the match, Southern Brave bowler Craig Overton expressed his satisfaction: “It’s a short competition with only eight games, so starting well is crucial. Vincey’s a phenomenal player, and he’s carried his form into The Hundred brilliantly.”
