Trent Rockets were bossing the game at the 60-ball mark when the Oval Invincibles needed 102 runs off the 40 balls. However, the visitors didn’t know what hit them in the 15 balls as Curran and Jordan Cox handed them a pasting, scoring 64 runs in that period to completely take the game away.
Trent Rockets pacer Sam Cook conceded the most expensive set in the men’s Hundred history after Sam Curran plundered him for 32 off the over at the Oval on Thursday, August 21. From needing 102 runs off 40 deliveries, the equation came down to 51 required off 30 deliveries as Curran and Jordan Cox went ballistic. 171 was a very good total with the bat from the Trent Rockets but the form Invincibles are in, no total is unachievable, no task is impossible.
The timeout seemed to have flicked the switch for the Invincibles as Cox and Curran accumulated 19 runs off the five bowled immediately after, by Rockets skipper David Willey. What followed after Willey’s over was carnage and absolute mayhem as Curran went berserk. Cook was wayward to start with, bowling a wide down the leg side, which went to the boundary, followed by another wide. Cook was dispatched for a six and a four on the next two deliveries before conceding another six, however, that was a no-ball.
Since the no-ball costs two extra runs, just two legitimate deliveries had already cost Cook 24 runs. The free hit also went for a six before the right-arm pacer came back to give away just two runs off his final two deliveries. However, the whole set ended up costing 32 runs for the Rockets and the Invincibles were back in the driver’s seat. Curran hit a six and a four off George Linde to complete his half-century and the Rockets just couldn’t stop the slide.ย
Rehan Ahmed dismissed Curran in the next set, but that did not affect the run-scoring for the Invincibles as Cox became active again and smashed Marcus Stoinis for a couple of boundaries and the writing was on the wall. Cox completed his half-century and Donovan Ferreira launched two maximums to practically finish the game off.
From needing 102 runs off 40 balls, the Invincibles finished it with 11 balls to spare, strengthening their spot at the top of the table. This was just the second loss for the Rockets in the competition and they are still well-placed to finish in the top three.
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