London Spirit vs Northern Superchargers
The Hundred Friday 18th August 2023
London Spirit 160-6 (100) Northern Superchargers 147-7 (100)
London Spirit won by 13 runs
Peter Moore at Lords
The golden arm of Ravi Bopara made up for an earlier drop from the all-rounder as London Spirit beat Northern Superchargers by 13 runs to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the knock out stages of the competition.
The experienced Bopara dropped a dolly of a catch in the visitors chase of 161 but made amends by picking up 4-21, including the prize wicket of England’s Harry Brook.
Northern Superchargers won the toss and put London Spirit in to bat.
Reece Topley struck early on when Zak Crawley(12) who had struck three boundaries early on, was brilliantly caught by David Wiese at mid on who flung himself to his left to cling on to the ball. After the umpires sent the decision upstairs it was deemed a perfectly good catch.
The hosts lost their second wicket of the night when Dan Lawrence(4) lasted six balls before switch hitting Adil Rashid, only to be bowled.
At the half way point Spirit had moved on to 74 for 2 with Adam Rossington swiftly advancing to a fifty after consecutive sixes Off Wayne Parnell.
The Essex wicketkeeper lifted Parnell into the pavilion before depositing another maximum over the short boundary side of the ground.
Rossington who came into today’s match on the back of a superb 61 against the Oval Invincibles, was again in peerless form, making 61 before sweeping Rashid into the hands of Matthew Short at deep point to break up a partnership that yielded 66 in 32 balls with Matthew Wade.
The Australian Wade(42) fell shortly afterwards, trapped leg before by Parnell. The hopes of the hosts putting on a big score in the latter stages of their innings were thwarted by a miserly spell from Rashid who finished with 2 for 18 off his 20 deliveries.
It was down to Daryl Mitchell with 33 before being run out off the last ball to guide London Spirit to a total of 160 in their 100 balls.
Openers Adam Lyth and Short opened the innings for the visitors. With the score on 15, Lyth should have been making his way back to the pavilion after top edging a delivery from Jordan Thompson to short third man where Ravi Bopara shelled the chance.
Lyth had another life when Spirit put down another chance when Nathan Ellis spilled a chance at midwicket with the Superchargers batter on 25.
Shortly afterwards Lyth’s(26) luck ran out when Thompson held on to the chance at deep backward square.
Bopara made up for his spill earlier when Short(20) holed out in the deep of the Sussex man’s first delivery before striking again to remove Tom Banton(2).
All rounder Bopara grabbed his third of the night when he had Saif Zaib(1) caught at short fine leg to have the impressive figures of 10 balls- five dot balls- five runs and three wickets.
Despite Sprint getting themselves back into the game, Harry Brook had other ideas. Recently discarded by England for the forthcoming World Cup, the Yorkshire batter took out his frustration by hammering the Spirit bowling attack to all parts of Lords.
It was down to Bopara, bought back into the attack to remove the dangerous Brook, who holed out to Mitchell at deep cover for an impressive 44 off 24 balls including six fours to give Bopara his fourth wicket of the evening to finish with the outstanding figures of 4 for 21 with Superchargers still requiring 43 off 21 balls.
With 26 from 10 required, Liam Dawson returned back into the attack and had Hose(33) sensationally caught by Ellis at short fine leg, running back diving over his left shoulder and holding on to the ball.
It was now getting difficult for the visitors who needed almost four runs per ball. But Ellis held his nerve with the final five deliveries of the game with only six runs coming off the final set to wrap up victory for the London side.