By Ben Kosky
Sam Curran reckons leg-spinner Peter Hatzoglou could be Oval Invincibles’ secret weapon as they battle to capitalise on the lifeline thrown up by their derby win against London Spirit in the men’s Hundred last weekend.
Curran’s return of three for 16 from 20 balls was crucial in laying a base for the Invincibles’ six-wicket victory at Lord’s that kept them in contention for a top-three finish if they can beat Manchester Originals in their final group match on Wednesday.
But the England all-rounder feels Hatzoglou, who was drafted in to make his debut in the Hundred as a replacement for Caribbean Premier League-bound Sunil Narine, is more than capable of filling the gap.
The 23-year-old Australian finished with figures of one for 29, removing Spirit danger man Ben McDermott for a duck and Curran said: “Sunil Narine’s a world-class bowler and he’s done it for so long, he’s a massive loss.
“But I thought Hatzoglou bowled beautifully as well. He’s new to the competition, which is great because it means no-one’s really seen him.
“Nathan Sowter and Tom [Curran] bowled economically as well – we bowled really well as a unit and it was our night.”
The Invincibles’ consistent bowling enabled them to restrict Spirit to 122 for seven before chasing down the target with 14 balls unused.
The batters’ acceleration during the latter stages, with Curran’s elder brother Tom striking four boundaries in his undefeated 19, boosted their net run-rate as they climbed to third place in the standings.
“The message was very clear from the captain and coach,” added Curran. “We know net run-rate might come into this at the end.
“When we felt we had the game in the bag with probably 40 runs to go, we wanted to go hard. In that situation you’ve just got to swing for the hills and hope it comes off.
“We knew we needed to win our last two group games to give ourselves a chance and I thought we bowled beautifully as a unit and then Will Jacks played beautifully like he’s done all season.
“It was a fantastic win. We deserved a little bit of luck with the way we got Morgs [Eoin Morgan] out as well – those are the things you need in these types of games to get you over the edge.
“Everyone stuck to their plans and read the conditions really well and we’re really excited for our game on Wednesday [August 31, against Manchester Originals]. It’s getting very close and every game’s a must-win now.”
Spirit, who tasted defeat for only the second time in the tournament, will still qualify for at least the Eliminator if they overcome Birmingham Phoenix in their final group fixture on Tuesday [August 30].
Spinner Liam Dawson said: “Winning is a habit, but you will have blips along the way. We had a blip, but we have another opportunity to come back on Tuesday and put in a better performance.
“It is nice that it is in your own hands. We have a good enough squad to go into the final game and get a win.”