Tom Curran’s Heroic Innings Secures Thrilling Tie at Kia Oval

In a nail-biting final-ball thriller witnessed by 21,432 fans at the Kia Oval, Tom Curran played a heroic unbeaten innings, scoring 38 runs off just 18 balls, leading Oval Invincibles to a thrilling tie against Welsh Fire.

Curran’s innings included four sixes, and with three runs needed from the last ball, he drove David Payne to deep square-leg and hurriedly completed a second run, beating the fielder’s throw by the slimmest of margins to tie the scores at 138. Earlier, Jordan Cox had displayed an impressive performance, scoring 51 runs from 43 balls until Ben Green’s two crucial wickets reduced the hosts to 100 for 6.

Joe Clarke was the top-scorer for Welsh Fire, contributing 69 runs from 46 balls, while Gus Atkinson of Invincibles showcased his growing reputation by taking 3 wickets for 26 runs.

Toss results

Winning the toss and opting to bat, Welsh Fire made a rapid start with Clarke and Luke Wells putting on 32 runs in just 15 balls. However, Atkinson’s brilliant performance turned the tide as he took three wickets from his first ten balls, including the dismissal of Fire captain Tom Abell for a duck, reducing the score to 43 for 4.

David Willey supported Clarke in launching a recovery, but he fell to Zak Chappell for 13, who was the only bowler to have a breakthrough in his spell, conceding only 15 runs from his 20 balls. Green provided strong support to Clarke, adding 25 runs off 16 balls with two sixes. Clarke eventually reached his half-century from 39 balls by hitting Chappell to the cover boundary.

Tom Curran, who took 2 wickets for 27 runs, put an end to the partnership between Clarke and Green, catching Green at deep midwicket. However, Fire recovered well to finish their innings with a total of 138 for 6.

In their reply, Fire struck early by dismissing Jason Roy for a catch at gully off Shaheen Shah Afridi’s bowling. They could have claimed Will Jacks’ wicket early on, but Green’s fumble at the boundary allowed the ball to go for four.

Cox impressed with his aggressive batting, hitting Willey for four and Afridi twice to the cover fence, followed by a maximum over midwicket off David Payne. Payne thought he had Cox’s wicket later, but a decision review showed that the ball had bounced first. He (Cox) also survived a close call when he edged Haris Rauf just past the diving Clarke for four.

Cox and Jacks Partnership

Cox and Jacks formed a partnership of 58 runs from 39 balls, which ended when Jacks was caught at long-off, with Green making up for his earlier mistake.

Cox’s brilliant innings of reaching his half-century from 39 balls came to an end when he was superbly caught by Green on the boundary. Green then continued to excel by taking two more wickets in five balls, dismissing Sam Curran and Heinrich Klaasen, putting pressure on the home side.

With Oval needing 13 runs from the last five balls, Tom Curran stepped up and smashed a massive six off Payne, sending the ball flying out of the stadium, and displaying his athleticism, he secured a thrilling tie on the final ball.