Originals blown away by Fire as southpaw seamers wreak havoc
Richard Sellers/PA Wire
Welsh Fire needed just 57 balls to overhaul Manchester Originals’ 86 as their men’s Hundred campaign got off to a dreadful start at Emirates Old Trafford.
An evening that started with the confirmation that Jos Buttler would not be playing due to a calf strain somehow got even worse, straight away.
Stand-in skipper Phil Salt slapped the game’s second ball straight to cover, and the total was barely in single figures when David Willey struck twice more in two balls, having Max Holden held on the boundary then pinning Paul Walter.
Josh Little trimmed Sikander Raza’s bails, then had Wayne Masden caught behind on review – Tom Hartley found himself facing the 44th ball, with just 26 on the board.
“I usually like to come in a bit later,” said Hartley afterwards.
“I like to be a bit more single-minded with the bat, but unfortunately that’s the way it went.”
It got worse again. Hartley chipped Jake Ball to cover and Usama Mir overbalanced to Mason Crane, leaving the hosts 37/7 after 54 balls.
A stand of 36 between Jamie Overton and Scott Currie made the card a bit more respectable, but Overton holed out off David Payne just after striking the innings’ only six.
In Willey, Little and Payne, most of the damage was done by left-armers – when added to the Originals’ Josh Hull, Walter and Fazalhaq Farooqi, 60% of tonight’s balls were delivered by southpaw seamers.
Hartley doesn’t think it’s a trend as such, but he has noticed tough conditions for the batters early on.
He said: “These balls are a bit more lively up top, whoever is bowling. It’s been pretty tricky for the openers.”
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Johnny Bairstow and Joe Clarke didn’t seem to have too many problems, thanks to whatever is the opposite of scoreboard pressure.
Clarke played the shot of the match, a lofted on-drive for six off Hull, before a misfield allowed skipper Tom Abell to scamper the winning run.
Hartley added: “It was a very tough night.
“They bowled really well, caught us a bit off-guard, and it’s always tough to defend a small total like that.
“You’ve just got to take your opportunities and we couldn’t, myself and a few others – but I’m sure we’ll be better for the experience.”
