Nathan Sowter’s guile sends Williamson, Turner packing

Struggling with rhythm, both Kane Williamson and Ashton Turner succumbed in quick succession to Nathan Sowter’s chicanery, pegging the Spirit further back. Jamie Overton (31 off 18) and Ryan Higgins (28 off 15) supplied some much-needed heft to the innings, adding 54 off 28 deliveries, before the Spirit closed on 152/7.

The Spirit celebrated on the first ball of the chase as Richard Gleeson dismissed Tawanda Muyeye. There onwards, however, the Invincibles didn’t put a foot wrong. Jordan Cox wasted no time to get going, striking a four and a six, while Will Jacks also broke the shackles, attacking Luke Wood and Overton to fetch multiple boundaries.

The introduction of spin proved futile as Cox and Jacks punished Jafer Chohan and Liam Dawson. Dawson redeemed himself to an extent by dismissing Jacks, who found deep midwicket, but Chohan was taken apart by Sam Curran, who cleared the fence and stroked a four. Cox kept his foot on the gas pedal, hammering Gleeson for consecutive boundaries. Curran hoisted Dawson for six in what was a compatible match-up against the left-arm spinner, but Dawson retaliated immediately, removing him the very next ball.

Cox was on the precipice of a fifty when Overton knocked him over, but Donovan Ferreira ensured there was no twist in the tale, bludgeoning two fours and two sixes in a 24-run cameo off just nine balls to seal the deal.