Buttler masterclass sets up record chase to put Originals in final

Manchester Originals ransacked their way to the highest successful run-chase in the men's Hundred on a night of boundary-fuelled belligerence at the Kia Oval, sweeping past a seemingly intimidating target set by Southern Brave with seven wickets and four balls to spare. Jos Buttler was at his imperious best, striking 82 off 46, and although he wasn't there at the end, victory was sealed in fitting style as Jamie Overton crashed Chris Jordan high over long-off.

Brave looked to have shrugged off the disadvantage of losing the toss and being inserted, following a delay for mopping-up after rain washed out the women's eliminator, becoming the first side to record three individual half-centuries in a 100-ball innings. Finn Allen set the initial tempo with 69 off 38, before James Vince added a 24-ball fifty during the closing stages; Devon Conway was neat and tidy in between times to anchor the innings with an unbeaten 51 off 38.

But as Originals set about their chase in ruthless fashion, it immediately called into question whether Brave had spent their batting resources wisely. Phil Salt's first three balls all went to the boundary - albeit two of them were thick edges between slip and gully - as he hammered five fours and two sixes from 14 powerplay deliveries, Originals posting 61 without loss.

The scoring rate only went up with the fielding restrictions off. Buttler, whose one miscue came from his second ball when he just cleared cover running back, hammered Craig Overton for his first six down the ground before Salt drilled two more brutal hits in a set costing 21. Salt fell to his next ball to depart for an incendiary 47 off 17, Vince roaring in celebration after scooping a low catch in the covers as Mitchell Santner's introduction paid off - but Buttler kept the pressure on by hitting Santner into the crowd before new batter Max Holden carved and scooped George Garton for sixes from his fourth and seventh balls.

Originals had raced to 100 from 41 balls, equalling their own record from the 2022 edition, and they were 115 for 1 at halfway. The carnage continued for Brave's seamers as Jordan was struck for 17 in the next set, Buttler bringing up a 26-ball half-century, and the Originals captain took back-to-back boundaries off Tymal Mills before the competition's leading wicket-taker ended Holden's cameo with a slower delivery.

Buttler's calculated assault continued as he crashed Rehan Ahmed for two more sixes during a run of ten consecutive balls from the teenaged legspinner, at the end of which Originals needed 26 from 20. The requirement was down to 17 when Buttler finally top-edged one into the night sky to be held by the scrambling Rehan and Laurie Evans' emphatic blow into the crowd off Mills kept Originals on course.

Buttler, England's white-ball captain, has been a vocal backer of the tournament in recent days and extended his lead at the top of the run-scoring charts. This has been his first full season of involvement and he will now lead Originals out at Lord's against Oval Invincibles on Sunday, looking to go one better than the side did in his absence last year.

Following the abandonment of the early game, and with the threat of more rain interrupting proceedings in south London, Buttler had no hesitation asking Brave to set a target. He admitted afterwards to being a "bit disappointed" with his side's effort with the ball - which included conceding 20 extras - but added: "Once we got that momentum it was hard to stop us."

There was swing and seam movement for the Originals new-ball pair of Richard Gleeson and Josh Little, but although the Brave openers only managed four scoring shots in the first 15 balls, they still had 24 on the board through a combination of leg byes and wides - which had increased to 37 without loss after the powerplay.

Allen's first boundary came off a thick edge over slip, and he then needed assessing by the physio after playing a rolling ramp shot straight into the grille of his helmet. He launched Little for a sweetly struck six over deep midwicket, while Conway got going by chipping his fourth ball over cover for four, but there were few other examples of timing during a scratchy start.

After back-to-back boundaries in the eighth set, Allen then took Calvin Harrison for four and six, followed by another straight smash over the ropes off Zaman Khan to bring up a 31-ball half-century and put Brave on the front foot at the halfway stage of their innings on 84 for none. Harrison was again targeted in the 12th, as both Allen and Conway cleared the ropes in a set that cost 20. But two balls after hammering Paul Walter over long-on for his fifth six, bringing up a record opening stand for the competition, Allen was finally removed attempting to reverse-scoop and feathering a catch behind.

That was to be Originals' only breakthrough with the ball, but they nevertheless managed to keep on top of the scoring. Vince also made a slow start, eking out six runs from his first ten balls, but a flicked six off Zaman seemed to bring him to life. Off his next 12 balls, Brave's captain smoked 40 runs, with Originals paying the price for missing the cut-off and only being allowed four men out for the final 11 deliveries.

Conway had batted throughout the innings without ever dominating, reaching a 37-ball fifty during the final set, as Brave notched the highest Hundred total at The Oval - only for Buttler's men in black to produce an extra-terrestrial response.