The Oval Invincibles showed their dominance in The Hundred as they secured a spot in the knock-out rounds with a commanding victory over the London Spirit at The Kia Oval. Led by a stunning performance from Jordan Cox, the Invincibles cruised to a nine-wicket win, setting up a crucial clash with the Trent Rockets to determine their path to the final.
Cox, who had a fantastic week after earning a call-up to the England Men’s Test team, showcased his talent by smashing an unbeaten 61 off just 30 deliveries. His six to finish the match was the cherry on top of a brilliant innings that sealed the victory for his team.
The Spirit, who were already eliminated from contention, struggled to put up a fight with the bat, managing only 96 runs in their innings. Michael Pepper provided some resistance with a quickfire 27, but once he was dismissed by Adam Zampa, the outcome was all but decided.
Zampa, who has been a standout performer in the tournament, continued his fine form by picking up 4 wickets for just 17 runs. The Spirit batsmen had no answer to his guile, as they collapsed to 52 for 5 in quick time and never recovered.
Despite a valiant effort from Ollie Stone to defend the modest total, the Invincibles cruised to victory with 37 balls to spare. The win ensured that Sam Billings’ side, with six wins from seven games, are guaranteed a top-three finish in the men’s competition.
Looking ahead to their final group game against the Rockets, Zampa emphasized the importance of finishing on top and securing a direct spot in the final at Lord’s. He praised his teammates for their efforts and expressed confidence in their ability to come out on top in the crucial encounter.
“I’m pleased with that performance,” said Zampa. “They put us under the pump in the powerplay early but yet again there was a bit of purchase in the surface and the boys dragged it back really well through the middle. We’ve been playing really good Cricket throughout. Today we knew how important it was to get the win.”
With the Invincibles riding high on momentum, all eyes will be on their clash with the Rockets as they aim to cement their spot in the final and continue their quest for glory in The Hundred.
