Oval Invincibles Team Guide
Oval Invincibles are a franchised men and womens team that play in The Hundred cricket competition in England.
Oval Invincibles Background
The Oval Invincibles cricket team was founded in 2019 when the new eight team Hundred competition was announced by the ECB. The team represents the county clubs Surrey and Kent. The coaches announced before the initial draft were to be Australian Tom Moody for the men’s team and former England cricket team player Lydia Greenway for the women. The captain was to be England wicket keeper batter Sam Billings and South Africa national cricket team player Dan Van Niekerk was to lead the women’s team.
Where Do Oval Invincibles play?
Invincibles play at historic Oval cricket ground in Kennington, South London. It first hosted Test cricket as far back as 1880, with this being a ground that regularly hosts matches between international cricket teams too.
Oval Invincibles Players
The men’s Oval Invincibles team has featured a number of Surrey and England stars including Jason Roy, Sam and Tom Curran plus Will Jacks. Overseas talent has included West Indies mystery spinner Sunil Narine, South African batters Colin Ingram, Heinrich Klassen and Rilee Rossouw. Australia cricket team leg spinner Adam Zampa has also turned out for the Oval Invincibles.
Big name England players Alice Capsey and Mady Villiers have worn the Oval Invincibles colours. Like in the men’s team a number of South Africans have played as overseas players namely captain Dane Van Niekerk, Marizanne Kapp, Shabnin Ismail and Nadine de Kerk.
Memorable Games For Oval Invincibles
Oval Invincibles men’s team won The Hundred for the first time in 2023. In the final at Lords against Manchester Originals they were thankful for a brilliant partnership between James Neesham and Tom Curran to rescue them from a terrible start. Batting first England’s Jason Roy was dismissed for 0 in the first over as the game was looking to be slipping away from the Oval Invincibles before it had barely started. At the fall of Will Jacks they were floundering on 34 for 5 from 36 balls. The Neesham/Curran rescue act was worth an unbeaten partnership of 127 with the former making 57 not out from 33 balls and Curran 67 not out from just 34 balls including five sixes to lift the team to 161 for 5. The Oval Invincibles spinners then turned the screw as the Originals fell short of the target by 14 runs to spark joyous scenes.
The women’s team won the first two editions of The Hundred, the first final in 2021 was dominated by an outstanding bowling display by Marizanne Kapp against Southern Brave. Invincibles’ score batting first of 121 looked very gettable in the Lords showpiece with no batter getting past 26. Brave however had no answer to the bowling of Kapp who dismissed the top three for ducks in recording the extraordinary figures of 4 for 9 from 18 balls. Brave never recovered from this terrible start being dismissed for 73 to give the Oval Invincibles a comprehensive 48 run victory.
Rivals Of Oval Invincibles
The big rivals of the Oval Invincibles are London Spirit. The London derby usually attracts large crowds at Lords and The Oval respectively.
