Defending men’s champions Oval Invincibles thrashed Birmingham Phoenix by eight wickets in the opening match of The Hundred at the Kia Oval.
Invincibles were set just 90 to win after the Phoenix collapsed to 89 all out from 81 balls.
The home side chased down the low target with 31 balls remaining thanks to a 62-run unbeaten partnership between captain Sam Billings (31 not out) and Dawid Malan, who scored 24 not out on his Invincibles debut following his move from Trent Rockets.
Phoenix, who won the toss and elected to bat, got off to a nightmare start as they fell to 10-4 after just 17 balls as England batters Moeen Ali (1) and Liam Livingstone (0) went cheaply.
Spinner Adam Zampa starred with the ball for Invincibles as he took 3-11, with his three wickets coming in only seven balls at the back end of a woeful Phoenix innings.
Only three batters made double figures for the visitors, who posted the lowest score at The Oval in The Hundred.
Invincibles suffered an early setback in their pursuit as England batter Will Jacks (6) nicked behind off Tim Southee.
But any threat of an unlikely Phoenix comeback was thwarted by Tawanda Muyeye’s quickfire 23 and then a superb partnership between Billings and Malan to guide Invincibles safely home.
The comfortable victory ensured double delight for Invincibles after the women’s team had earlier won their opener against the Phoenix by 45 runs.
Player of the Match – Adam Zampa (Oval Invincibles)
Zampa was awarded Player of the Match for his part in skittling Phoenix, as the Australian took three wickets in his 20 deliveries, which included 10 dot balls.
He said: “[It was] not much of a spinning wicket to be honest. I enjoy bowling here as it skids on a bit and if you get that right it can be hard to hit.
“I tried to attack the stumps as much as possible today, and it worked.
“It’s obviously nice to start that way [with a win], especially at home, continuing on our success from last year, so it’s a good feeling again and great to be in the winning circle straight away.”
Morgan: Timing not right for England white-ball role
Eoin Morgan has told Sky Sports the “timing is not right” for him to potentially take over as England’s white-ball head coach.
Speaking during Tuesday’s coverage of The Hundred on Sky Sports Cricket, World Cup-winning captain Morgan was asked if he would be interested in potentially taking it on, with The Times reporting current head coach Matthew Mott is set to depart.
“I’ve been asked a lot over the last couple months about the role and whether I would take it on. My answer has simply been, the timing for everything in my life at the moment is not right,” Morgan told Sky Sports on Tuesday.
“Yes, I want to coach down the line, but I’ve got a young family and I spend a lot more time at home. I’m loving what I’m doing, watching cricket through this.
“And this news is news to me. It’s not nice when a coach comes under fire and there is a lot of speculation about his future. Only time will tell about what will happen.”
What’s next?
The Hundred continues on Wednesday as Southern Brave take on London Spirit.
The women’s match is live on Sky Sports Cricket from 2.30pm with play to start from 3pm, while you can also stream via the Sky Sports app and on YouTube. The Brave are defending champions in the women’s competitions.
The men’s clash is then live from 6pm ahead of play starting at 6.30pm. Brave were winners of the men’s competition in the inaugural 2021 season in 2021.
Sky Sports will show all 68 games in The Hundred live this summer, while you can also watch selected games from The Hundred on Sky Sports App and YouTube. Stream The Hundred and more with NOW