Originals suffer in third straight loss
DAWID MALAN’S sensational 98 not out freewheeled the Trent Rockets to a record-breaking men’s victory over Manchester Originals as the Hundred shone on a glorious day at Emirates Old Trafford.
The Rockets won their third game in a row – leaving the Originals with three defeats from three – as they chased a record 190 to triumph by eight wickets with six balls remaining.
Malan was powerful to leg and classy through the off as he replied with gusto to the Originals’ 189 for three – at the time, the second highest score in Hundred history. The England left-hander hit nine of 24 sixes in the match, facing 44 balls.
Phil Salt posted an Originals’ best unbeaten 70, but his 46-ball innings was dwarfed in front of a 14,207 crowd in the baking Manchester sunshine.
Surely, the Hundred cannot have seen a better occasion than this following Australian leg-spinner Alana King’s hat-trick for the Rockets in the morning women’s game.
Salt and captain Jos Buttler, who had lost the toss, shared 84 for the first wicket in 51 balls, the England white ball skipper contributing an entertaining 41.
Salt was the bystander in a 34-run partnership for the third wicket with Tristan Stubbs, who took his toll on compatriot Tabraiz Shamsi, the left-arm wrist spinner, with four sixes in four balls in his 27 off 10.
Salt also shared an unbroken 52 in the last 20 balls of the Originals’ innings with fourthwicket partner Laurie Evans (26 not out).
But the Rockets came out with an ‘Anything you can do, we can do better’ approach to their chase.
Hales took Fred Klaassen for a trio of boundaries in the first set of five, while Malan creamed three of the first four sixes over leg as the score raced to 79 without loss after 35 balls.
Left-hander Malan hit three sixes in as many balls off Parkinson and Sean Abbott, by which time there really was no way back for the Originals.