Oval Invincibles Men Dominate as Rashid Khan Spins London Spirit Out in The Hundred 2025 Opener

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Rashid Khan’s fiery spell set up Oval Invincibles’ 6‑wicket win over London Spirit in the opening match of The Hundred Men’s 2025 at Lord’s.

Match Highlights and Key Moments:

1. Toss & Team Decision

  • London Spirit won the toss and chose to bat first.
  • The Lord’s wicket looked slow and low, favouring spinners from the start.

2. London Spirit’s Innings: Rashid Khan Takes Charge

  • London Spirit collapsed under sustained pressure, getting bowled out for just 80 runs in 94 balls.
  • Ashton Turner was the lone standout, scoring 21 off 14 balls.
  • Ryan Higgins managed 12 from 14 balls, while the rest of the batting lineup struggled.

Key Bowling Figures for Oval Invincibles Men:

  • Rashid Khan: Claimed 3 wickets for just 11 runs in his 20-ball spell.
  • Sam Curran: Picked up 3 wickets for 18 runs in 19.4 balls.
  • Jordan Clark: Took 2 wickets for only 8 runs in 10 balls.

3. Fall of Wickets: London Spirit

  1. Jennings – 7/1 (Ball 11)
  2. Williamson – 17/2 (Ball 19)
  3. Warner – 26/3 (Ball 31)
  4. W Madsen – 38/4 (Ball 43)
  5. J Simpson – 49/5 (Ball 53)
  6. Liam Dawson – 55/6 (Ball 58)
  7. Turner – 57/7 (Ball 65)
  8. Luke Wood – 74/8 (Ball 79)
  9. Ryan Higgins – 74/9 (Ball 82)
  10. Richard Gleeson – 80/10 (Ball 94)

4. Oval Invincibles’ Chase: Methodical and Smooth

  • Oval Invincibles needed 81 to win and lost Tawanda Muyeye (18) early.
  • Will Jacks anchored with 24 from 24 balls.
  • Skipper Sam Billings (6 runs*) and Donovan Ferreira (9 runs*) guided their side to victory with 31 balls remaining.

Key Bowling Figures for London Spirit Men:

  • Liam Dawson: 2 wickets for 9 runs in 20 balls
  • Ashton Turner: 1 wicket for 7 runs in 5 balls

5. Fall of Wickets: Oval Invincibles

  1. Tawanda Muyeye – 34/1 (Ball 32)
  2. Will Jacks – 51/2 (Ball 51)
  3. Jordan Cox – 60/3 (Ball 58)
  4. Sam Curran – 66/4 (Ball 62)

6. Partnerships That Shaped the Game

London Spirit Men

  • None significant as wickets fell at regular intervals.

Oval Invincibles Men

  • Billings & Ferreira: Unbeaten 15 runs off 7 balls ensured a calm finish to seal the chase.

7. Turning Points of the Match

  • Rashid Khan’s spell dismantled London Spirit with top-quality spin.
  • Sam Curran’s support with three wickets compounded the collapse.
  • A tame batting effort from Spirit left too little to chase.

8. Player of the Match: Rashid Khan

  • Rashid Khan impressed with 3 wickets for just 11 runs, weaving a spell that sealed the game.

9. Match Summary

  • London Spirit (Men): 80 all out (94 balls)
  • Oval Invincibles (Men): 81/4 (69 balls)
  • Result: Oval Invincibles men won by 6 wickets with 31 balls remaining

10. Points Table Impact

  • Oval Invincibles begin with 2 points and a positive impact on their Net Run Rate (NRR).
  • London Spirit face early pressure after a heavy opening loss.

👀 What’s Next in The Hundred Men’s 2025?

  • Oval Invincibles are set to face Manchester Originals in their next clash at The Kia Oval.
  • London Spirit head to Cardiff to take on Welsh Fire in their next match.

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