Jordan Thompson produced his best ever Hundred bowling figures and also the best so far in the tournament as London Spirit maintained their excellent start to the competition with a comfortable 52 run victory over Manchester Originals.

Thompson, who bagged two wickets on his tournament debut at the Kia Oval last week, took 4 for 21 from 20 balls, as Originals were shot out for 108.

Spirit won the toss and elected to bat on a glorious Monday evening in London. The home side lost their first wicket when Adam Rossington(0) was bowled by Sean Abott’s second ball.

Australian Glenn Maxwell moved on to 21 before he was dismissed by Tom Hartley with the 37^th ball of the innings to leave Spirit 51-2.

Opener Zak Crawley was joined in the middle by skipper Eoin Morgan with the pair putting on 54 for the third wicket before Crawley(41) holed out into the deep off the bowling of Matt Parkinson.

Spirit’s Captain has looked back to his best in this competition and was looking good on 37 before finding long on with 21 balls remaining.

Jordan Thompson(2) top edged a pull shot down deep square legs throat as Originals continued to put pressure on the London based outfit in the remaining balls of their innings with every one of the Originals bowlers extremely economical, despite Ravi Bopara(9) picking up a couple of boundaries before he was brilliantly caught by Abbott tumbling forward at long on.

There was still time in the remaining balls of the innings for Kieron Pollard to open his shoulders to finish unbeaten on 34 coming off only 11 deliveries with the West Indian clubbing the last ball of the innings high into the third level of the pavilion as London Spirit closed their innings on 160-6.

Paul Walter was the pick of the Originals attack with figures of 2-18 off 20 balls, with all of the visitors attack averaging well under two runs per ball.

The pairing of openers Phil salt and Jos Buttler on their day can tear attacks apart, but for the Originals it wasn’t to be their day when Buttler(6) took a big swipe at the ball, top

edging to Mason Crane at short third man where he threw himself full length as the ball threatened to swirl out of reach of the former Hampshire player.

Jordan Thompson who earlier picked up the big wicket of Buttler, struck again to comprehensively bowl Wayne Madsen(9) middle stump to leave the visitors 39-2 after 39 balls.

With Spirit keeping it very tight by not letting Originals get on top of the bowling, Crane struck with his seventh delivery when Laurie Evans(3) perished at long on. Walter didn’t last long before becoming Thompson’s third victim of the night when he sliced to backward point to leave Originals 47-4 after 52 balls, with it all to do.

If Manchester were going to get their first win in this seasons competition, it was down to Andre Russell and Salt to dig them out of a hole. That chance failed to materialise when Russell(5) was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from Liam Dawson after the big West Indian was slow to set off and paid the price.

Dawson then turned his arm over with immediate success by having Tristan Stubbs(1) caught in the deep to leave Originals in a perilous position on 63-6 off 66 balls, still requiring a further 98 off 34 balls.

It was turning into Dawson’s night when he bowled Salt(36) to put Spirit on the brink of their second successive win in this seasons competition.

That was sealed when Thompson returned to bag his fourth wicket of the evening when Abbott(10) sliced to short third man with the Yorkshireman finishing with excellent figures of 4-21 off his 20 deliveries as Spirit cruised to victory by 52 runs.

London Spirit   vs Manchester Originals

London Spirit  160-6     Manchester Originals  108 (98)

Spirit won by 52 runs

The Hundred  Monday 8^th August 2022

Peter Moore at Lords

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt