Simon Dalton presents his bet on the opening match of The fourth edition of The Hundred.
Oval Invincibles are the defending champions of the tournament. They meet Birmingham Phoenix that finished last season almost at the bottom of the table (6th place). Invincibles playing at their home arena Kia Oval are considered the favourites. They have won 4 out of their 5 last games staying unbeaten at home.
The Phoenix managed just two wins last year. But what is interesting – one of the victories was against Oval Invincibles (160 - 119). Another factor is that this year the start of this summer’s competition will overlap with the Third Test of the men’s series between England and West Indies, which begins on July 26. And some of Invincibles’ stars like Billings or Malan may try to save resources for the next match.
One of Invincibles’ leaders Sam Curran said: «We saw so many close finishes last year in the men’s competition and close contests are so good for bringing fans in». His words make sense. Even though the Oval team managed to score over 100 points during last season, the margin was rarely above 20 points. And the game against Phoenix won't be a walk in the park for them. Birmingham is the underdog in tomorrow’s encounter but is still one of the main contenders for the title according to bookmakers with 5/1 odds.
After a weak performance with a bat last season Jason Roy was released by Oval Invincibles and not picked up in the 2024 draft. But there are still plenty of familiar names. For example, Tom Curran, who, alongside with Jimmy Neesham, last year demonstrated an unbroken partnership of 127, which is the highest for any wicket in the history of the tournament. Australian Adam Zampa, Invincibles’ top match winner with 6 wickets under his belt, is ready for action as well.
