Cricket as we know has always been a game of fine margins. Even the minutest of errors from a player of either side can cost his side the match altogether, such is the intensity which the sport gains at times. It’s due to this fact that modern day cricket witnesses such closely contested games every now and then on a regular basis. Teams give it their all so as to now allow their opponents to strengthen their grip over the match at any moment. With the evolution of T20 and other shorter formats, the game has only kept on getting more and more intense with the passage of time. Games have always been highly intense with the pressure building up right from the early stages to persisting till the end. A similar moment which grabbed the attention of cricket fans from all across the globe took place in the recent match at the Men’s hundreds tournament.
Oval invincibles faced off against Welsh Fire in the 9th match of the Men’s Hundreds 2023. Welsh Fire scored 138 off their registered 100 balls thereby setting a decent target for Oval Invincibles to chase. Oval’s chase began in a peculiar fashion with Jason Roy being dismissed for a golden duck. Jordan Cox did provide some stability to the innings with quality strokes on a regular basis. However things kept getting worse as the Welsh Bowlers did brilliantly to initiate a batting collapses midway between the innings as Oval were 5 down for under 100.
It was then that Time Curran arrived at the crease with the required run rate towering high with each passing delivery. The Englishman got to work immediately and started aiming for boundaries on every ball that he faced. Thanks to his sheer brilliance with the a bat the match came down to the last 5 balls with Oval needing 13 runs to win. David Payne was all set to bowl the last over of the game. With just three coming off the first three balls the pressure was on Curran and Oval.
However the tables turned almost instantly as the fourth ball by Payne was a full toss at a comfortable height for Curran who smashed a gigantic six to give his side hope. The shot was an absolutely clean one as it travelled a massive distance. The ball flew out of the stadium as the people on the streets too became spectators to that 102m six from Curran. The game eventually ended in a tie with Curran stealing a couple of runs off the last ball narrowly escaping a close run out call.