Warner 71 in vain as Manchester Originals open account

David Warner's 51-ball 71 went in vain as London Spirit fell 10 runs short to hand Manchester Originals their maiden win of the season. Ashton Turner and Jamie Overton's late surge wasn't adequate as Scott Currie held his nerves in the final set to help Originals over the line at Old Trafford on Monday (August 11).

Electing to bat, Phil Salt led the early attack, by swatting three boundaries off the first six deliveries. Ben McKinney joined in soon and carted away Liam Dawson and Richard Gleeson en route to a breezy 12-ball 29. The early aggression by the openers proved decisive as run-scoring became a bit difficult towards the second half of the innings.

Once Salt departed close to the mid way mark of the innings, Spirit were able to pull back the momentum. Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen struggled to get going through the middle period. The duo managed to add only 49 runs in their 38-ball alliance for the third wicket.

With the scoring rate brought down, the attempt to accelerate towards the end didn't prove too beneficial. Once Klaasen departed on 24, for a period of 16 balls, only 20 runs were conceded as Originals were restricted to 163 for 6, despite the early blitz.

In response, Spirit made a steady start to the run chase, with Warner taking the onus of scoring the bulk of the runs, with his opening partner Kane Williamson struggling to find rhythm.

After a fairly slowish start, Warner took the attack to the bowlers in the middle overs, with Josh Tongue, Lewis Gregory and Noor Ahmad bearing the brunt of his masterclass in attack. Williamson, all along, played the second fiddle in the partnership, scoring only 19 runs in his 20-ball stay in the middle.

Even after he departed, Spirit struggled to keep up with the required rate. Not only the incoming batter Jamie Smith but also the set Warner struggled to find boundaries for a while. With 55 needed off 21 balls, Turner eventually broke the shackles by slog-sweeping Noor for a six. A couple of quick boundaries followed to keep the chase exciting.

Warner and Turner departed in quick succession, but Overton's assault on Sonny Baker brought the equation down to 17 off the final set. He slashed a short delivery over short third for a four, but was run out right after while attempting a quick double. Currie ensured there were no hassles for Originals from thereon, conceding only six runs off the final set.

Brief Scores: Manchester Originals 163/6 in 100 balls (Jos Buttler 46, Phil Salt 31; Jamie Overton 2-26) beat London Spirit 153/6 in 100 balls (David Warner 71, Jamie Overton 19; Josh Tongue 3-29) by 10 runs