Brave consigned to inevitable loss versus Invincibles
By Connor Steel
SOUTHERN BRAVE have a massive task to progress to the “knockout stages” as they lost their third successive 2025 Hundred encounter on Monday night against the Oval Invincibles; who easily overcame the 2024 runners up during an one-sided affair that ended with a seven wicket away win under “overcast dry skies” at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton.
The hosts were forced to bat first and had a sedate start before the wickets started to slip; Jason Behrendorff removing James Vince (7) and Leus du Plooy for 13) to leave Brave on 23-2 after sixteen deliveries. It became 32-3 when Laurie Evans was dismissed by Tom Curran before Jason Roy (5) and Michael Bracewell (0) further departed to Rashid Khan.
James Coles was trapped LBW to leave Brave struggling on 44-6 after their first forty deliveries and this brought Hilton Cartwright along with Jordan Thompson at the crease; this duo deciding to counter-attack the bowlers. This pair added thirty-seven runs in 23 balls including multiple boundaries and two maximums; thus battling the Brave to a better score.
Sam Curran dismissed Thompson for twenty-four but Cartwright continued to help his team past one hundred runs and beyond as they reached 120-7 with eleven balls left. But Curran had his second scalp as Cartwright fell for 42 runs and saw the end of Jofra Archer (5) whilst Tymal Mills was superbly run out after a fine effort to end Brave’s innings for 133.
Oval Invincibles started their response awfully as Craig Overton took the wicket of Will Jacks for a single; the batsman slicing at a delivery that was caught by Archer to spark hopeful cheers for the hosts. These were then louder when the same partnership helped to remove Tawanda Muyeye (9) to leave the away batters on 18-2 after seventeen deliveries.
But these 2 dismissals brought Sam Curran and Jordan Cox together at the crease with the duo steadily absorbing the bowling pressures, before accelerating in terms of run rates. Both batters hit two maximums apiece along with multiple shots across the pitch as they reached a fifty-run partnership and then passed the team’s hundred with lots of time left.
Cox celebrated the half-century shortly afterwards but was unable to remain unbeaten at the end as he was dismissed by Mills for 56, meaning that the Invincibles needed just fifteen runs to win. Curran then capped off a brilliant all-round performance as he reached his fifty, whilst Sam Billings struck three boundaries to ensure the win with eleven balls left.
This defeat means that Brave are now sitting fourth in the table after five games and have won two but still do have an outside chance of reaching the top three and eliminator tie, if results go their way. This team will be travelling to Cardiff on Wednesday for a match versus Welsh Fire and will then be visiting London Spirit on Saturday with a 6pm start time.
PICTURED BY ALAMY (3CEKXCH): Tymal Mills is run out to finish Southern Brave’s ‘under-par’ innings on 133 all out.
