Oval Invincibles win The Hundred 2023: Decoding their tournament stats
Oval Invincibles were crowned champions of the 2023 The Hundred on Sunday (August 27). They defeated Manchester Originals by 14 runs in the summit clash at the iconic Lord's to get the glory. Tom Curran's all-round show powered the Invincibles over the line in the final. Here we decode Invincibles's campaign in The Hundred 2023.
How did the final game pan out?
Batting first, the Invincibles were reduced to 34/5 and looked in all sorts of trouble. However, Jimmy Neesham (57* off 33 balls) and Curran (67* off 34 balls) scored fiery fifties, helping their side finish at 161/5. In reply, the Originals lost wickets at regular intervals and were restricted to 147/6. Curran returned with 1/25 in his quota of 20 balls.
Highest partnership in The Hundred
Neesham and Curran's 127-run stand for the sixth wicket in the final is the highest partnership for any wicket in the history of The Hundred. They went past the Trent Rockets duo of D'Arcy Short and Dawid Malan (124* versus Brave, 2021).
A top-place finish in the league stage
The Sam Billings-led side indeed dominated the entire season. With six wins in eight matches, the Invincibles topped the league stage. Notably, they lost a solitary game this year while one of their matches got washed out. A top-place finish earned the Invincibles a direct entry to the final. They put up another astounding show in the summit clash to clinch their maiden title.
Here are their top batters
With 227 runs in nine games at a strike rate of 154.42, Will Jacks was Invincibles's leading run-getter this season. While Heinrich Klaasen garnered 189 runs at a strike rate of 178.30, Curran managed 175 runs, striking at 176.76. Jordan Cox played five games, returning with 168 runs at an average and strike rate of 56 and 143.58, respectively.
A look at their best bowlers
Leg-spinner Nathan Sowter was Invincibles's highest wicket-taker in the season with 11 wickets in nine games at an economy of 9.60. While pacer Gus Atkinson returned with 10 wickets in six games (ER: 9), Curran took nine wickets in five matches at an economy of 8.88. Adam Zampa and Sunil Narine also took six wickets apiece for the Originals.
Here are the key milestones (1/2)
As Curran was only dismissed once, his batting average of 175 is the highest this season. Klaasen's strike rate of 178.30 is the fourth-highest among batters with 180-plus runs this season. Billings's 76 against Trent Rockets is the highest individual score by an Invincibles batter this year. Curran is the only all-rounder with the double to 170 runs and eight wickets this season.
Here are the key milestones (2/2)
Jacks's economy rate of 6 and average of 10 are the best among bowlers who delivered at least 10 overs this season. He also claimed five wickets. Pacer Zak Chappell is the only Invincibles bowler with a four-fer this season, 4/33 versus Birmingham Phoenix. Meanwhile, Originals's 201/3 against Southern Brave is the joint-highest team score this season. They share the feat with Northern Superchargers.
