Southern Brave pip Manchester Originals to the post in Hundred thriller

Reece Topley, the last name on the batting card, cracked a boundary off the penultimate ball of the run chase to help Southern Brave seize an exciting one-wicket win in their campaign opener of The Hundred. Brave overhauled Manchester Originals’ total of 131/4 with one ball to spare.

After Sonny Baker castled James Vince early in the chase, Leus du Plooy and Jason Roy stabilized the innings with a 32-run stand for the second wicket. However, with the required rate ascending, Brave batters were forced to up the ante. Laurie Evans hit a couple of sizzling boundaries, but the endeavor to find the rope backfired.

Scott Currie blew the middle-order to smithereens with four wickets, while Noor Ahmad caused further damage with a brace as Brave slid from 65/2 to 104/8, in a matter of 35 balls. Needing 28 runs off the last 13 balls, Tymal Mills bludgeoned Currier over sweeper cover for a six. Craig Overton joined the party, hammering Baker over long on. His acceleration was aided by Currie, who put him down on the next ball and parried the ball to the fence.

With three runs needed off as many balls, Currie held on to a catch to dismiss Mills and take the game right down to the wire. However, Topley’s first-ball boundary ended the agitation for Brave.

Earlier in the day, Manchester Originals, who were put in to to bat, posted a challenging total on the board courtesy Phil Salt’s 41-ball 60. After losing Matthew Hurst early, Salt and Jos Buttler added 48 runs for the second wicket. Heinrich Klaasen failed to get going in the middle overs, but Mark Chapman’s 12-ball 22 delivered the much-needed finishing kick to Originals’ innings.

Mills scalped three wickets, while Michael Bracewell and James Coles kept a lid on the runs through the middle period.

Brief Scores: Manchester Originals 131/4 in 100 balls (Phil Salt 60, Mark Chapman 22; Tymal Mills 3-22, Craig Overton 1-28) lost to Southern Brave 133/9 in 99 balls (Jason Roy 30, Leus du Plooy 25; Scott Currie 4-28, Noor Ahmad 2-21) by 1 wicket