Originals dealt blow at Old Trafford
BRAD Wheal claimed a stunning four for 17 to help London Spirit register their first win in six men’s Hundred games and deal a blow to the Manchester Originals.
Hampshire’s Scottish fast bowler Wheal, a replacement for Mark Wood and making his Hundred debut, helped the Spirit defend 143 after the Originals slipped from relative comfort at 126 for four after 88 balls.
Wheal bowled Phil Salt early in a chase which recovered from 21 for three after 16 before returning to get key man Colin Ackermann for 53 as the Originals slipped to five down. He then defended nine off the last five with the wickets of Calvin Harrison and Fred Klaassen.
England limited overs captain Eoin Morgan, meanwhile, did not field following an unbeaten 22 for London. He sat in the dugout with his left knee iced.
Defeat means the Originals missed the opportunity to go joint top and their qualification hopes hang in the balance with two games remaining.
A spin friendly Emirates Old Trafford surface ultimately saw a game watched by a 14,000 strong crowd decided by a seamer in 24-year-old Wheal.
Adam Rossington top-scored with 46 off 29 for Spirit, while Originals spinners Tom Hartley claimed three for 27 and Matthew Parkinson two for 18. The latter also took a stunning one-handed catch.
Rossington had lofted Parkinson’s first ball for a straight six, gaining some revenge for his dismissal to the ‘ball of the century’ in an April Championship match while playing for Northamptonshire at the same ground.
But the RossingtonParkinson connection was not finished, with the latter taking a stunning one-handed catch having leapt high at short third following a reverse sweep at Hartley.
Salt clubbed Roelof van der Merwe for three off-side boundaries in the first five balls of the chase, but he was one of the three early wickets.
Mohammad Nabi claimed two of them with his off-spin. The first was Joe Clarke brilliantly caught at wide long-on by Mason Crane before Colin Munro holed out at cover. Wheal then bowled Salt.
But Ackermann engineered the revival with the help of Tom Lammonby - the fourthwicket pair sharing 66.
Captain Carlos Brathwaite also hit three sixes in a quick-fire 30, but he fell to Blake Cullen in the penultimate set of five following
Ackermann’s dismissal.
Wheal then bowled Calvin Harrison and had Klaassen hit wicket either side of the run out of Hartley. Klaassen had needed to hit the final ball for six to tie, only to stand on his stumps.