Oval Invincibles Dominate London Spirit in Hundred 2025 Opener

The Hundred Men’s Competition 2025 kicked off with a bang on August 5, 2025, at the legendary Lord’s Cricket Ground, where London Spirit (Men) squared off against Oval Invincibles (Men) in a day-night showdown.

London Spirit Innings: A Batting Collapse

Jordan Clark and Jason Behrendorff opened the bowling for the Invincibles, and it didn’t take long for Clark to make his mark. On the 11th ball, he got one to nip away just enough to catch Jennings’ edge as he tried to drive. The ball flew to Rashid Khan at slip, who snaffled it with ease. Jennings was gone for 5 off 9, and at 7/1, the Spirit were already feeling the heat. The Lord’s crowd, still settling into their seats, went quiet as the early wicket set a nervy tone.

Kane Williamson's first boundary at #TheHundred! 😍 pic.twitter.com/1Hp01Nj8Do

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025

Kane Williamson, the Spirit’s skipper and a guy the team would back to steady any ship, came in at number three. He looked the part right away, cracking two gorgeous boundaries to race to 9 off 7 balls. The Kiwi star was timing the ball sweetly, and for a moment, it felt like the Spirit might find their groove. But Behrendorff wasn’t having it. On the 19th ball, he got one to jag back, catching Williamson’s edge, and Sam Billings behind the stumps gobbled up the chance. At 17/2, with the powerplay yielding just 21 runs, the Spirit were in a hole, and the Invincibles were all over them like a rash.

David Warner, the Aussie legend, was supposed to be the guy to dig the Spirit out of trouble. Known for smashing attacks to all parts in T20 cricket, Warner was expected to take the game by the scruff of the neck. But the Invincibles’ bowlers kept him on a tight leash. He scratched around for 9 off 10 balls, managing just one boundary, before Clark struck again on the 31st ball. Warner, trying to break free with a flashy drive, edged to Will Jacks in the slips, and just like that, the Spirit were 26/3. Losing their top three, Jennings, Williamson, and Warner inside 31 balls was a disaster, and the pressure was piling on the middle order.

Wayne Madsen and Ashton Turner were now tasked with picking up the pieces, but the Invincibles’ bowlers weren’t giving an inch. Madsen tried to get things moving, smacking a boundary to reach 10 off 11 balls, but the introduction of spin changed the game. On the 43rd ball, Rashid Khan, the Afghan wizard, came on and immediately showed why he’s a nightmare for batters. With his quick arm and sneaky variations, he foxed Madsen, who tried to nudge one to the leg side but ended up lobbing it to Jordan Clark. At 38/4, the Spirit were wobbling, and the run rate was crawling at under a run a ball.

John Simpson, the Spirit’s keeper, walked out with the team in deep trouble. Facing Nathan Sowter’s crafty spin, Simpson couldn’t get going, scraping just 1 off 6 balls. On the 53rd ball, Sowter pinned him lbw, and the umpire’s finger went up. The Spirit reviewed, hoping for a miracle, but the DRS backed the call, leaving them at 49/5.

Liam Dawson, the all-rounder who’s saved his team plenty of times, was next up, but even he couldn’t stop the rot. On the 58th ball, Rashid Khan struck again, trapping Dawson lbw for 1 off 3. The Spirit burned another review, but the DRS showed three reds, and at 55/6, they were in freefall. The Invincibles were relentless, and the Spirit’s batters looked like they were stuck in quicksand. Ashton Turner, who was trying to fight back, gave the Spirit a flicker of hope. He smashed three boundaries in his 21 off 14 balls, showing some grit. But on the 65th ball, Sam Curran, bowling with fire and accuracy, got him to miscue one to Rashid Khan in the field. At 57/7, the Spirit were on their knees. Curran was on a roll, finishing with 3/18 in his 19 balls, and the Invincibles’ bowlers were making it look easy.

The lower order had no answers. Ryan Higgins fought hard, scoring 12 off 14 with two boundaries, but he too fell to Rashid Khan on the 82nd ball, caught by Tom Curran. At 74/9, the end was near. Rashid, with 3/11 in 20 balls, including a ridiculous 15 dot balls, was running the show, and he wasn’t done yet. He had already taken three catches to go with his wickets. Luke Wood (5 off 7) and Richard Gleeson (3 off 6) couldn’t do much, with Wood caught off Curran on the 79th ball and Gleeson bowled by Curran on the 94th, wrapping up the innings at 80/10. Daniel Worrall was left not out on 3 off 7, and a lone leg bye as the only extra showed how tight the Invincibles had been.

Sam Curran's mood at Lord's right now 🕺#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/qd4HyEoxTQ

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025

The Invincibles’ bowlers were unreal. Rashid Khan was the star, earning Player of the Match for his wickets and fielding heroics. Sam Curran matched his three scalps, while Jordan Clark (2/8) and Jason Behrendorff (1/17) kept the pressure on. Nathan Sowter (1/10), Tom Curran (0/11), and Will Jacks (0/4) chipped in, making sure the Spirit never got a sniff. The total of 80 was a shocker, one of the lowest in The Hundred, and the Invincibles were licking their lips at the chase.

Oval Invincibles Innings: A Comfortable Chase

Chasing 81 runs off 100 balls is about as easy as it gets in The Hundred, and the Oval Invincibles came out looking like they knew it. Openers Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye faced up to Luke Wood and Daniel Worrall under the Lord’s lights, with the Spirit desperate for early wickets to have any chance. The Invincibles, though, played it smart, keeping things steady while making sure the runs kept coming. Will Jacks, a guy who loves to take attacks apart, led the way with his trademark swagger.

Watch live now on YouTube! 🎥 https://t.co/lwTVoOdePL

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025

He cracked two boundaries in his 24 off 24 balls, looking in control. Tawanda Muyeye played the perfect foil, scoring 18 off 20 with two boundaries of his own. Together, they put on 34 for the first wicket, setting a solid foundation. The powerplay brought 27 runs without loss, and the Invincibles were cruising. But Liam Dawson, the Spirit’s best bowler, gave his team a lifeline on the 32nd ball, sneaking one through Muyeye’s defenses to bowl him. At 34/1, the Spirit had something to cling to. Jacks kept things ticking, mixing singles with the odd boundary, but Dawson wasn’t done. On the 51st ball, he got Jacks to nick one to Keaton Jennings at slip, and the dangerman was gone for 24. At 51/2, with 30 runs still needed, the Spirit dared to dream. Jordan Cox came in to join Sam Curran, but Cox couldn’t get going, managing 5 off 9 before Daniel Worrall bowled him on the 58th ball, making it 60/3.

That brought Sam Curran to the crease, and he wasn’t in the mood to mess around. Smashing three boundaries in his 14 off 9 balls, Curran took the game away from the Spirit. He fell on the 62nd ball, bowled by Ashton Turner, leaving the Invincibles at 66/4, but with just 15 runs required, the writing was on the wall. Sam Billings, the Invincibles’ skipper, and Donovan Ferreira finished things off in style. Billings, unbeaten on 6 off 3, cracked a boundary to settle any jitters, while Ferreira’s unbeaten 9 off 5, including a massive six, sealed the deal on the 69th ball. The Invincibles wrapped up at 81/4, with 31 balls to spare, showing just how one-sided this contest was.

The London derby ends with an Oval Invincibles win! 🏆

They beat London Spirit by 6 wickets 💥#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/Jxl6ueVbIA

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025

The Spirit’s bowlers tried, but 80 was never enough. Liam Dawson was the standout, giving away just 9 runs in his 20 balls and snagging 2 wickets. Daniel Worrall (1/21) and Ashton Turner (1/7) got a wicket each, but Luke Wood (0/28) and Richard Gleeson (0/16) couldn’t break through. The Invincibles got a boost from 5 extras (2 no-balls, 3 wides), and their run rate of 1.17 runs per ball showed they were in complete control.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

If one had to pick one moment that defined this match, it’s got to be Rashid Khan’s spell, TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game. The guy was unplayable, bowling 20 balls for just 11 runs and picking up three huge wickets at an economy of 0.55 runs per ball. With 15 dot balls, he choked the life out of the Spirit’s batting, giving them no room to breathe.

Oval Invincibles are all over London Spirit at Lord's Cricket Ground! 😯#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/PvII2wSfbo

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025

He got Wayne Madsen (10), Liam Dawson (1), and Ryan Higgins (12), ripping through the middle order with his sharp spin and clever changes of pace. Only two boundaries came off him, and his three catches on top of that made him the game’s biggest game-changer.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Jordan Clark was the man of the hour, earning TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his cracking bowling performance. In just 10 balls, he gave away only 8 runs, took 2 wickets, and kept things tight with an economy of 0.80 runs per ball. With 6 dot balls, he had the Spirit’s batters second-guessing themselves.

A team effort during the London derby 🤝#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/7jd931gpcO

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 5, 2025

He struck early, getting Keaton Jennings for 5 on the 11th ball, and then sent back David Warner for 9 on the 31st, breaking the Spirit’s back. His accuracy and knack for big moments helped restrict London Spirit to 80 in 94 balls, setting up the Invincibles’ easy win.