Brave tailenders seal thrilling win over Originals

Emirates Old Trafford’s Hundred men’s competition

Manchester Originals 131-4 (100 balls): Salt 60 (41), Mills 3-22

Southern Brave 133-9 (100 balls): Roy 30 (22), Currie 4-28

By a wicket, Southern Brave won.

The Hundred’s Southern Brave defeated Manchester Originals in a thrilling one-wicket victory thanks to a late flurry of runs from their tailenders.

With eight wickets left, Brave struggled to get past 132 and needed 26 from the final 11 balls.

However, Brave was brought back into contention after Tymal Mills’ six, which was followed by three more Craig Overton boundaries, before Mills was snatched off Lewis Gregory with three deliveries required.

Reece Topley, the dugout’s last man, cut his team’s lead with one ball for four as they came out on top.

In the originals innings, Mills had impressed, taking three crucial top-order batters, including opener Phil Salt, who scored 60 in the top three.

After the powerplay, the home team struggled, finishing with a score of 134 runs from 74 deliveries.

Scott Currie, a seamer for the originals, took 4-28 as six Brave batters each hit singles.

After Matty Hurst was dismissed, England duo Salt and Jos Buttler made a strong start, leading their team to 49-1 after 26 deliveries.

The Brave bowlers’ ability to effectively throttle their opponents only served to make it four more times for Originals to break the ropes.

Mills was parsimonious while also mentioning the three most dangerous batters in Originals.

For a caught behind, Buttler was caught at deep cover from his second ball, and he induced a leading edge from Heinrich Klaasen, who was also hit.

With 20 balls left, Originals captain Phil Salt would have felt compelled to carry on after reaching 60 from 39.

He hit the next Mills delivery for four, but Salt pulled a short, fine-leg leg before the Brave veteran struck once more next up.

James Anderson, 43, and Farhan Ahmed, 17, both made their Hundred debuts under the originals, with Currie, 24, the key bowler.

Anderson started the Brave innings, but Jason Roy, an ex-England batter, did the same, and Anderson finished with 0-36 innings on the ground.

In the span of three balls, Currie removed Laurie Evans, Chris Jordan, and Michael Bracewell before dismissing Leus du Plooy to put an end to a promising 32-run second-wicket partnership.

On Thursday, Northern Superchargers take on Welsh Fire in a second double-header in Headingley.