Oval Invincibles’ Sam Curran was in supreme touch as he registered the first hat-trick of The Hundred 2024 before smashing a fiery fifty in their game against London Spirit.
Batting first at Lord’s, Invincibles had a slow start after losing Will Jacks on just four in 12 deliveries.
Jordan Cox was the next batter to fall after scoring 14 off 19 deliveries as Dawid Malan kept steady at the other end.
However, he fell to Matt Critchley after scoring 38 off 29 balls, leaving Oval Invincibles at 80 over the loss of three after 66 balls.
Skipper Sam Billings retired hurt on 17, bringing Sam Curran to the crease who soon went after the London Spirit’s bowlers.
The left-handed batter launched an onslaught on the opposition bowlers and smashed an unbeaten 51 off 22 balls with the help of six sixes.
Read more: WATCH: Pakistan’s Usama Mir dismissed hit-wicket in The Hundred 2024
His fiery inning helped Invincibles post a target of 147 over the loss of five wickets in their 100 balls.
View this post on Instagram
In the bowling department, Sam Curran had a poor start by conceding two wides and a boundary off the first four balls he bowled. He conceded 14 runs for no wickets from his first 10 balls
However, he was brought back to bowl the 18th set, in which he dismissed Critchley on the second ball, before getting rid of Liam Dawson, Olly Stone, and Andre Russell on the fourth, fifth, and the first ball of the 19th set to register the first hat-trick of The Hundred 2024.
Curran went on to dismiss Daniel Worrall on the 95th ball to complete his five-for.
His last wicket also closed the London Spirit’s innings, handing his team a 30-run victory.
View this post on Instagram
It is pertinent to mention that Curran’s fifty and a five-wicket haul in the same game was only the 21st such instance in the history of the format.
He has achieved this feat once before, having done so in a T20 Blast game in 2022.
