The Hundred 2024: Nicholas Pooran delivers as Northern Superchargers win again

The West Indian, backed up by Mitchell Santner in the field and Matthew Potts with the ball, led Andrew Flintoff's side to a second consecutive victory

ECB Media | 02/08/2024 at 21:46

Kia Oval: Northern Superchargers 145-5, Oval Invincibles 126-9 - Northern Superchargers won by 19 runs

Nicholas Pooran was at it again, making his second big-hitting half-century in a row to secure back-to-back victories for Andrew Flintoff's Northern Superchargers in The Hundred.

In front of 24,160 expectant fans at the Kia Oval, Pooran ensured the theme of the day was Superchargers teams crashing the party – and clearing the boundary – after the women's team won in an equally comprehensive manner earlier in the day.

The two wins signalled the end of both Oval Invincibles sides' 100 per cent records, and leave both men's and women's competitions wide open.

Pooran's 65 came from just 41 balls, with four mammoth sixes, and navigated a difficult start for his side to see Superchargers to 145 from their 100 balls. Pooran found it easier than most to find or clear the boundary, but Ollie Robinson's 20 from 10 added some late impetus and gave the visitors a competitive total at the break.

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^{Donovan Ferreira gave the Invincibles brief hope (ECB via Getty Images)}

The Superchargers bowlers never let Invincibles get away in their chase, with Jordan Clark, Dillon Pennington and Matthew Potts all miserly up top. They received good support from their teammates in the field, with Adam Hose and Santner himself taking tidy catches in the deep.

Santner was one of a trio of spinners, alongside Adil Rashid and Matt Short, who backed up the good work their seamers had started to give Invincibles nowhere to go in the middle of their innings.

As the home team's hopes began to fade, there was still time for Donovan Ferreira to pepper the spectators with five sixes in a 24-ball 49.

The South African's enterprising and entertaining knock briefly threatened to turn the game on its head before he was dismissed by Potts, to all but end a chase that never really got into sixth gear.