Cricket Review | Oval Invincibles win Men's Hundred competition

Oval Invincibles 168-5 beat Trent Rockets 142-8 

Will Jacks struck a superb 72 from 41 balls as Oval Invincibles claimed a third successive Hundred title with a 26-run victory over Trent Rockets in the men’s hundred final. 

Author | Sam D

Stadium | Lord’s Cricket Ground

The defending champions had entered the contest as favourites after finishing top of the group stage and they lived up to that billing. Jacks set the tone from the opening delivery, driving the first ball for four on his way to the highest individual score recorded in a men’s Hundred final. His innings, featuring seven boundaries and two towering sixes, included a 32-ball half-century and an 87-run stand with Jordan Cox that carried Invincibles towards 168 for five.

Rockets responded with a strong finish, conceding only 25 runs from the final 20 deliveries, but chasing down a record target at Lord’s always looked a daunting task. Their challenge unravelled in the face of a decisive spell from Nathan Sowter. The leg-spinner, often overlooked in favour of more high-profile names, took three wickets for just three runs in his first set of 10 balls, dismissing Joe Root, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Banton to leave Rockets in disarray.

Marcus Stoinis briefly revived hopes with a spirited 64 from 37 balls, but his counterattack came too late. Rockets ended on 142 for eight, with Saqib Mahmood trapping Stoinis leg before from the final ball to spark Invincibles’ celebrations at the home of cricket.

Will Jacks the star

As indicators of what is to follow, Jacks easing David Willey's first ball back down the ground for four was a fantastic statement. There was a confidence to the shot, the opener backing his timing, not trying to smash it out of the park and still knowing it would get to the boundary. More fireworks then came later.

After bludgeoning his 51st and 52nd sixes - the second most overall in the history of The Hundred - the only surprise was that Jacks did not kick on to get his century.

A strike-rate of 175.60 shows he was not holding back, but the control he showed from the first ball was there throughout as he took down the Rockets attack.

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Stoinis' slower ball eventually did for him with 15 balls left in the innings and, despite Invincibles' usual explosion of boundaries late on not coming, the damage to the Rockets was done.

This is an Invincibles side that is just used to winning; a few early boundaries for Banton were not going to bother them.

Sowter's three-wicket spell knocked the stuffing out of the Rockets and from there, the Invincibles - for the third year running - were able to largely cruise to victory.