Northern Supercharges v Oval Invincibles Men July 31st

Neil Whitaker reports

THE Northern Supercharges beat the Oval Invincibles by six wickets with three balls to spare and seeing them home again was Harry Brook.

Last week he top scored against the Welsh Fire with 62 and this week he hit an unbeaten 47.  With 17 needed from 10 balls Brook scooped Reece Topley for a couple behind Sam Billings and they got another four from the next four balls.  From the last five balls they needed 11 to Tom Curran bowled a wide, John  Simpson cut the next ball to the third man boundary and nailed the next ball for a six into the Emerald stand.

When  Brook came into  bat the Northern Supercharges were starting to struggle on 23 for two with only Australian Chris Lynn showing any resistance.  Lynn clipped Saqib off his over third man and the disc jockey’s stand for a big six and smashed him over  the long on boundary.

Lynn said: “I had the best seat in the house tonight. He absorbs all the pressure.  Tonight he was unbelievable and he is awesome to watch.  My role tonight was to play the role for my team.”

It took Brook 15 balls to get into his stride but it seemed longer than that but he cheekily beat the short third man and then beat him easily with the next ball.  He smashed Shamsi for a straight six.

After adding 74 with Brook and two runs short off his fifty Lynn drilled Narine’s last ball to Laurie Evans on the long off boundary. Dane  Vilas clipped his first and only ball from Saqib Mahmood off his legs to Curran on the mid wicket boundary.

On four Simpson slapped Curran to Saqib at mid on but he couldn’t hold on to it to rub salt in the wound Brook slapped the fifth ball to the mid on boundary.

Bucking the trend the Invincibles skipper Sam Billings decided to bat after winning the toss but after the first 10 balls they struggled to find the boundary and soon lost their first wicket with six on the board when Will Jacks edged  Brydon Carse to Simpson.  When they lost six wickets for 60 runs in 58 balls,  it looked like his decision had backfired on him. 

Jason Roy batted throughout the whole hundred balls for 52 and Curran was unbeaten on 34.  From the last three balls of the Invincible innings Roy hit  Willey for three sixes and a wide four.  He even clipped  Mujeeb  off his legs for a big six into the East stand.

At the other end the five balls Curran powered a four off his back foot off Carse and toe ended a straight six off Matty Potts.

After the loss of Jacks it looked like Narine would get the Invincibles innings on the right track.  He pulled Potts over the square leg boundary for the first six of the match.  He then pulled him squarer for  his second six which was followed by a six over mid wicket.  But his luck ran out when he tried to hit Mujeeb for a six and found Brook on the long on boundary.

Then we had a procession of batsmen walking from and back to the hutch.  First Colin Ingram clipped Adil Rashid to Potts on the mid wicket boundary for the first of his three victims.  Evans top edged a sweep off Rashid to. Jordan Clark cut his first ball to Vilas at first slip who caught it at his second attempt.  Billings backed away from Potts to give him some room and was bowled.

In their chase the Supercharges lost two early wickets Adam Lyth sliced a drive off Curran to  Roy on the third man boundary.  Willey was bowled by one from Saqib that nearly cut him in two.