Duckett heroics in vain as Evans and Billings see the Invincibles home

Despite climbing to the top of the run-scoring charts in the Hundred, Ben Duckett’s 65 was not enough as the Oval Invincibles beat the Welsh Fire on Monday evening.

Duckett contributed over half of the Fire’s runs as they posted 121 from their 100 balls before Sam Billings and Laurie Evans combined to help the Invincibles over the line.

Reece Topley opened the bowling for the Invincibles and almost bowled Josh Cobb with just his second ball which somehow alluded all three stumps. The 30-year-old opener responded to the pressure with a six and a four off the remaining deliveries of Topley’s first five.

At the other end, Tom Banton attempted to deliver further punishment to Topley in his next spell but skewed the ball straight to his Saqib Mahmood, who had created pressure at the other end.

Without captain Jonny Bairstow after his departure for England duty, the Welsh Fire’s batting power was considerably weakened. Ben Duckett, one of the Hundred’s in-form batsmen, walked out to replace Banton at the crease.

However, with his first ball, Duckett’s straight drive clipped the hand of the diving Topley to send the ball crashing into the stumps. After an umpire review, Cobb was seen to be left stranded at the other end, leaving his ground when the ball was adjudged to have hit the wicket.

Duckett, who may still garner hopes of getting into England’s white-ball set-up in the future, steadied the ship for the Welsh Fire and climbed into top spot as the Hundred’s leading scorer.

His partner Glenn Phillips failed to support Duckett as he may have hoped and departed for 8 from 11 balls to leave the Welsh Fire 53-3 after 43 balls bowled.

New batsmen Leus Du Plooy was gifted a life by Jordan Clark on the leg-side boundary when sweeping Tabraiz Shamsi, the tall fast bowler misjudging the ball as it flew through his hands.

Du Plooy was dropped a second time, with Will Jacks the culprit off the bowling Mahmood, before Duckett hit back-to-back boundaries to frustrate the England bowler further and lift the Fire to 85 from 65 balls.

Cheers of celebration and mostly relief rang around the Oval when Du Plooy eventually departed, Clark redeeming his earlier blunder by holding a catch off the bowling of Tom Curran.

New Zealander Jimmy Neesham arrived at the crease before swiftly being sent on his way after edging through to Sam Billings first ball to leave Curran on a hat-trick.

The wait for a Hundred hat-trick goes on but wickets slowed the progress of the visitors. Matt Critchley’s three from 12 only raised frustrations as Sunil Narine continued to keep a squeeze on the Derbyshire man before he eventually skied a Mahmood delivery to Topley.

Duckett’s one-man resistance eventually earned him 65 from 52 balls as the Welsh Fire posted 121 from their 100 balls.

The total was modest and the Invincibles would have realised that an electric start from Jason Roy could provide them with the platform to register their second win of the Hundred.

Two fours from David Payne’s opening five deliveries created excitement before a top-edge off Matt Milnes’ first ball flew high into the south London sky and was eventually held by Duckett to end Roy’s evening.

Narine arrived at three and continued the aggression when pulling Payne into the crowd for six. Supported by Jacks, the pair reduced the total to under a run per ball with only 23 balls bowled.

Despite the lowly required rate, Jacks was keen to run up proceedings but his eagerness cost him his wicket as he top-edged Neesham to Cobb.

A continuous flow of wickets was key to Welsh Fire’s chances and Narine’s departure during Neesham’s 10-ball spell ensured Sam Billings and Colin Ingram would need to rebuild.

The Fire believed their flurry of wickets had continued when Qais Ahmad came onto bowl, the Afghan spinner has been a star of the Hundred so far and trapped Ingram LBW with his first ball, only for the review to show the ball was not going on to hit the stumps.

Ingram survived a close stumping call with the next ball as Ahmad continued to trouble the South African.

Billings’ straight drive for four signalled huge cheers from the home support after a period of dominance for the visitors. The Oval Invincibles captain then launched Critchley for six to leave his side needing just 51 from 50 balls.

The battle between Ahmad and Ingram continued and the Invincibles’ number five was given out LBW once again against the leg spinner. The review was prompt once more, but this time the South African was sent on his way.

The 20-year-old finished with figures of 1-12 from his 20 balls as the Invincibles required 45 from their final 40 balls.

Economic spells for Neesham and Payne had increased the required rate for the home side as Billings’ team needed 39 from 30 deliveries.

A hack from the captain fortuitously brought four as the rate fell to 26 needed from 20.

Billings and Evans displayed their pace between the wickets when successfully running two’s off the bowling of Higgins to lower the rate further, with the Invincibles edging closer to victory.

Billings would’ve been delighted to see a top-edge off Milnes fall safely with three Welsh Fire fielders converging on the ball as he and Evans lowered the target to 13 off 10.

An Evans cut shot for four prompted the loudest cheer of the night from the Oval faithful, before he then launched Payne into the boundary for six to all but seal the win.

With three from eight needed, Evans could have seen the Oval Invincibles home in singles but this is the Hundred after all as the 33-year-old pulled the next delivery for another maximum to end the match.

The victory lifts the home side into third place in the table, whilst the Welsh Fire sit fifth after four matches played.

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