The Cricketer look at the main talking points as Oval Invincibles host Birmingham Phoenix at the Kia Oval in the men's Hundred
"Big, and big enough."
Moeen Ali is appointment booking when he's in the groove with bat in hand. And he didn't disappoint as Birmingham Phoenix laid down a marker during the first half of this game.
The highlight was an audacious whip over deep mid-wicket off Matt Milnes for six - one of four maximums from the England allrounder - on his way to 42 from 45 balls.
And for anyone that missed it...
It's Moeen Ali's world and we're just living in it. #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/ApRisU93NM
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 23, 2022
If captains can't be proactive in the field, the next best thing they can do is react to events on the field.
Moeen saw a situation developing in the chase, with Sam Curran seeing it nicely and Jordan Cox finding his feet. They put on 47 in 30 balls to give the Invincibles hope.
Therefore, he brought back his death bowler Kane Richardson for the 70-75 set, and it paid off. The Australian claimed back-to-back wickets, as Cox and Sam Billings were sent back, and it played a major role in victory being secured.
Jason Roy gets lucky (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Three ducks, 30 runs and some forgettable moments - it has been a men's Hundred campaign to forget for Jason Roy. So maybe he is due some luck.
The first comes from Imran Tahir, who spilt a flashing leg-side flick at short fine-leg with Roy on nine.
And the second came from divine intervention. Roy gets a feather on a ball from a back of a length ball from Kane Richardson, an inside edge that thumps onto leg stump.
The stumps flash, the mic registers a nick and the Phoenix celebrations can begin.
But instead, the bails remain fixed to the top of the stumps, Roy survived (he would later depart for 21) and Phoenix would be left to wonder if some Pritt Stick had been deployed between innings.
Kane Richardson celebrates (Alex Davidson/Getty Images)
Oval Invincibles' seam attack has been gutted with the sharp end of the men's competition on the horizon, with Reece Topley being followed out of the squad by Mohammad Hasnain.
Topley has chosen to withdraw to ensure he remains injury-free before the Pakistan tour and T20 World Cup, an understandable decision from a quick bowler who has suffered so much in recent years.
Hasnain, meanwhile, is off to represent Pakistan in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, as a replacement for Shaheen Shah Afridi who has a knee problem.
Invincibles will consider their options for a domestic and overseas replacement in the coming days.
They are also saying goodbye to Sunil Narine who is returning to the West Indies for the Caribbean Premier League, with Peter Hatzoglou faced with the daunting task of replacing him.
All this after they lost Saqib Mahmood before the tournament, and his replacement Gus Atkinson.
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