Tymal Mills Shines as Southern Brave Clinch Last-Ball Thriller

The evening of August 6, 2025, saw Old Trafford come alive with the electric atmosphere of The Hundred Men’s Competition. In the second match of the 2025 season, the Manchester Originals locked horns with Southern Brave under the floodlights. Southern Brave’s captain, James Vince, won the toss and opted to field, banking on his bowlers to exploit the early conditions.

Manchester Originals’ Innings

As the Originals took to the crease, all eyes were on openers Phil Salt and Matty Hurst. The pair faced a formidable Southern Brave bowling attack, with Reece Topley and Craig Overton steaming in with purpose. The early overs were a test of patience, with Topley bowling a miserly opening spell, leaking just 21 runs in his 10 balls at an economy of 2.10. His probing lines kept Salt and Hurst on their toes, forcing them to play cautiously as they navigated the new ball’s shine.

Some HUGE names on the field tonight 🏟️

Who are you most excited to see? 🤩#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/2C139xcMc3

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2025

But the Brave didn’t have to wait long for a breakthrough. On the 10th ball, Overton struck gold, tempting Hurst into a tentative prod outside off-stump. The young opener’s 2 runs off 3 balls ended with a straightforward catch for Chris Jordan at slip, leaving the Originals at a shaky 15/1. The early wicket brought Jos Buttler, the game’s most explosive batter, to the crease, and the Old Trafford crowd buzzed with anticipation. Salt and Buttler knew they had to rebuild, and they set about doing so with a mix of caution and class.

Salt, the captain, took the lead, unfurling a series of crisp shots that pierced the field with precision. His blade flashed as he cracked four boundaries and launched two massive sixes, reminding everyone why he’s one of the format’s most feared batters. Buttler, usually a firecracker himself, played the anchor, contributing a measured 22 off 18 balls with three silky fours. Together, they stitched a vital 48-run partnership, pushing the Originals to 50 runs in just 29 balls. The powerplay, spanning the first 25 balls, yielded a solid 45 runs for one wicket, giving the home side a platform to build on. Salt’s aggression shone through as he raced to a 35-ball fifty, blending elegant drives with audacious lofted shots that sailed into the stands.

Just when it seemed the Originals were taking control, Southern Brave’s Tymal Mills changed the game. The left-arm pacer, armed with searing pace and clever variations, broke the partnership on the 42nd ball, getting Buttler to miscue one to James Coles for 22. At 63/2, the Originals needed someone to step up, and in came Heinrich Klaasen, a middle-order dynamo known for clearing boundaries with ease. But Klaasen found the going tough against a disciplined Brave attack. He scratched around for 15 runs off 16 balls, managing just one four, before Mills struck again on the 70th ball. Klaasen’s lofted shot lacked timing, and Laurie Evans, behind the stumps, pouched it gleefully, leaving the Originals at 89/3.

With the score teetering, Salt held firm, anchoring the innings with a mix of grit and flair. But Mills was in no mood to let up. On the 82nd ball, he dismissed the Originals’ skipper for a brilliant 60 off 41 balls, caught by Overton as the team crossed 100 runs in 79 balls. Salt’s knock was the heart of the innings, a perfect blend of aggression and stability that kept the Originals in the game. With wickets tumbling, Mark Chapman arrived with a point to prove. The Kiwi batter unleashed a late onslaught, finishing unbeaten on 22 off 12 balls, including two monstrous sixes that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

His fearless hitting provided the spark the Originals needed. Lewis Gregory, at the other end, played the supporting act, not out on 6 off 10 balls. His calm presence ensured no further wickets fell, allowing Chapman to swing freely. The Originals wrapped up their 100 balls at 131/4, a total that felt competitive but not out of reach, especially if their bowlers could fire. Extras added 4 runs (one bye, two leg byes, and one wide), but it was the bowlers who kept things tight.

Some HUGE names on the field tonight 🏟️

Who are you most excited to see? 🤩#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/2C139xcMc3

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2025

Mills was the star, finishing with a superb 3/22 in 20 balls, his 1.10 economy rate and wickets of Buttler, Klaasen, and Salt proving decisive. Overton chipped in with 1/28 in 20 balls, while Topley’s tight spell and James Coles’ economical 13 runs in 15 balls kept the Originals from running away. Chris Jordan (0/27 in 20 balls) and Michael Bracewell (0/17 in 15 balls) rounded out a disciplined effort that ensured the Originals didn’t post a mammoth total.

Southern Brave’s Innings

Chasing 132, Southern Brave opened with James Vince and Leus du Plooy, facing a pumped-up Originals attack led by James Anderson, making his Hundred debut, and Sonny Baker. The crowd roared as Baker struck early, clean-bowling Vince for 6 off 8 balls on the 15th ball with a peach that zipped through. At 14/1, the Brave were under pressure, and the Originals sensed an opportunity. Du Plooy and Jason Roy steadied the ship, with Du Plooy playing fluently for 25 off 21 balls, including two fours and a six. Their 32-run stand took Brave to 46/2 by the 42nd ball, but Scott Currie had other ideas, castling Du Plooy to keep the Originals in the driver’s seat.

This Noor Ahmad x Jos Buttler combo 🔗#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/WYYbxQGNDH

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2025

The powerplay saw Brave limp to 29/1 in 25 balls, a sluggish start compared to the Originals. Jason Roy took on the mantle, anchoring the chase with a dogged 30 off 22 balls, peppered with four boundaries and a six. His ability to find gaps kept the scoreboard moving, but the Originals’ bowlers kept striking. Noor Ahmad, the young Afghan spinner, bamboozled James Coles for 4 off 6 balls on the 53rd ball, with Jos Buttler pulling off a sharp stumping. Laurie Evans tried to up the tempo, smashing 13 off 9 balls with a four and a six, but Currie struck again on the 62nd ball, getting him caught by Baker.

The middle order crumbled as Hilton Cartwright (9 off 10) and Michael Bracewell (2 off 5) fell to Noor Ahmad and Currie, respectively. Cartwright was bowled, while Bracewell was caught by Buttler, leaving Brave reeling at 104/8 after 87 balls. With 28 runs needed off 13 balls, the game seemed all but over. Enter Craig Overton, who turned the match on its head with a blistering 18 not out off 8 balls, including two fours and a six. Tymal Mills, riding high from his bowling exploits, chipped in with 8 off 4 balls, including a six, before Lewis Gregory dismissed him on the 98th ball.

With 3 runs required off the final two balls, the tension was unbearable. Reece Topley, facing his first delivery, kept his cool and smashed a boundary off the second-last ball, clinching a heart-stopping one-wicket win for Southern Brave at 133/9 in 99 balls. The chase saw Brave reach 50 in 46 balls and 100 in 84 balls, but wickets kept the Originals in the hunt until the final moment.

Currie was the pick of the Originals’ bowlers, finishing with a brilliant 4/28 in 20 balls, his wickets of Du Plooy, Evans, Bracewell, and Chris Jordan keeping his team in the game. Noor Ahmad claimed 2/21 in 20 balls, while Baker took 2/26 in 20, and Gregory was tight, conceding 10 runs in 14 balls with one wicket, and Farhan Ahmed bowled a tidy 5 balls for 8 runs. Anderson went wicketless, leaking 36 runs in 20 balls. Despite their fight, the Originals couldn’t stop Brave’s lower order from stealing the show.

Southern Brave secure the first double win of #TheHundred 2025 🔐 pic.twitter.com/6TPFAc5SlG

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2025

The chase was a thriller, with Roy’s grit, Overton’s heroics, and Topley’s clutch boundary defining the night. The Originals pushed hard, but Southern Brave’s never-say-die attitude sealed one of the season’s most dramatic finishes.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

Phil Salt’s scintillating 60 off 41 balls was the heartbeat of the Originals’ innings, earning him TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game. The captain led from the front, striking at 146.34 with four boundaries and two towering sixes.

The race to 1000 runs is on 🧮

Phill Salt hits 50 in his first match of #TheHUndred2025 👊 pic.twitter.com/zKkC3k8h4x

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 6, 2025

After Matty Hurst’s early exit for 2, Salt’s 48-run stand with Jos Buttler (22) kept the innings alive, and his 55-minute knock was a masterclass in controlled aggression, finding gaps against a tight Brave attack led by Reece Topley and Craig Overton. Salt’s innings ended on the 82nd ball, caught off Tymal Mills, but not before he’d set a platform for a competitive 131/4.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Scott Currie was the standout performer, earning TCNI’s Hero of the Day for his sensational 4/28 in 20 balls. Facing a target of 132, Southern Brave’s batters struggled against Currie’s pinpoint bowling.

Scott Currie Strikes!
20 Balls | 4 Wickets
A fiery spell from Scott Currie in the 2nd Match of Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave, 2025 https://t.co/7Wm3X0Tlrs#Chennai #หมอบีทูตสื่อวิญญาณ #Flipkart #Newcastle #RohitSharma #RahulDravid #ODIs #ManUnited #NicolasJackson #Nun pic.twitter.com/7SKmdK2WbU

— SPORTS WIZ (@mysportswiz) August 6, 2025

He removed Leus du Plooy (25), Laurie Evans (13), Michael Bracewell (2), and Chris Jordan (8), disrupting the chase at crucial moments and with an economy of 1.40, 7 dot balls, and just one four and one six conceded, Currie’s control was unmatched. Despite Southern Brave’s dramatic win, Currie’s spell kept the Originals in the fight until the final ball.