The Hundred Final 2022: Samit Patel leads Trent Rockets to victory over Manchester Originals at Lord’s

Trent Rockets sealed a memorable two wicket win over Manchester Originals in a thrilling Hundred final at Lord’s.

Samit Patel stood out with the ball and cameos from Dawid Malan and Colin Munro helped to see the Nottingham side over the line

On a sunny Saturday evening in the capital, Manchester Originals batted first after winning the toss.

Phil Salt and Laurie Evans opened the batting, and Rockets fast bowler Luke Wood opened the proceedings with the ball.

An absolute ripper of a first ball flew past the inside edge of Salt’s bat and the stumps. A real ‘I’m here to play’ opening delivery.

Salt got off the mark with a third ball drive through the offside all the way to the boundary for four.

A second loose ball from Wood was dispatched over gully and slips for a second four from Salt - the England batter looked in a dangerous mood.

Evans, not looking to play a spectator role, carved a fine effort through gully for his first runs of the match. 13-0 from eight balls - a flying start.

Ball number nine of the innings, however, brought the first wicket. Cook trapped Evans lbw and despite the review, the ball was deemed to be hitting leg stump and Evans had to go for four.

Originals 13-1 from 10 balls, the wicket brought Wayne Madsen to the crease.

Madsen didn’t stick around for too long. An attempted ramp shot went badly wrong and he could only help it on to his own stumps. He went for just three runs.

18-2 from 18 balls - it was creeping towards a concerning start from the Originals.

The Rockets were looking tight in the field and with their bowling, making scoring runs tricky. If two wickets was a sticky start for the Originals, then three wickets was a worrying start.

Phil Salt caught a leading edge and was caught in the infield off the bowling of Daniel Sams and the Rockets were in firm control - Originals 22-3 from 23 balls.

The new man at the crease with Stubbs was Ashton Turner.

Erratic running between the wickets from the Originals batters was a clear sign of tension - the Rockets dominating the early period of this match.

The Rockets looked to slow things down by bringing spinner Samit Patel into the attack - and his third ball was lifted away by Turner for the first six of this final.

Turner then succeeded where Madsen failed and nailed a beautiful flick over his shoulder for four runs.

Stubbs went after Lewis Gregory, his meaty effort soared high into the London sky and away for another four runs.

49-3 from 40 balls constituted a great recovery from the Originals, a recovery lead by Stubbs and Turner.

A perfectly timed sweep for four from Turner moved him into the 20s and the Originals well past 50 approaching the halfway point in the innings.

The Turner and Stubbs renaissance was put to an end by Samit Patel - Stubbs tried to get Patel away but his top edge was taken superbly by Tom Moores behind the stumps.

Paul Walter joined Turner in the middle with the Originals 57-4 from 46 balls. He , however, would last just one ball.

The ball popped up off the leading edge and into the man in the circle and the Originals were in trouble at 57-5.

Samit Patel on a hat-trick - and Tom Lammonby facing. He was able to get off the mark first ball to avoid giving Patel the coveted prize.

The two wickets in two balls did however swing the momentum of the match back to the side from Trent Bridge.

With the 57th ball of the innings Turner hit a much needed four down the ground and down the famous Lord’s slope, but one ball later he was gone. He had his sights set on the big hit, but he fell short and was caught on the boundary. 75-6 and a third wicket for Samit Patel.

New man Hartley got off the mark with another four down towards the Media Centre, and plenty more of that would be needed if the Originals were to get to a defendable score.

With 30 balls remaining, the Originals found themselves 88-6, Rockets danger man Luke Wood returned to bowl from the Media Centre end.

The Originals hundred came up with 22 balls remaining, giving the Manchester side plenty of time to kick on - if they could put away some top class bowling from the Rockets.

The seventh wicket fell shortly after this as Cook bowled Lammonby for what looked a very handy 21 runs.

The Rockets had whittled down into the Originals lower order and Richard Gleeson was the new man in. 100-7.

Luke Wood had bowled superbly for no results, that was until he found the faintest of edges to remove Hartley, leaving the Originals 103-8 with just 11 balls remaining.

The new Originals batter was Matt Parkinson. Wood thought he had his man first ball, but the decision was reviewed and it was deemed Parkison didn’t get any bat on the ball.

Gleeson dug out a much needed boundary for the Originals with the 91st delivery of the innings - every run was precious now for the Old Trafford side.

Gleeson was then removed with a beautiful yorker from Sam Cook and it looked likely the Originals may not see out their allocated deliveries. 111-9.

The last man in for the Originals was Joshua Little,he nudged away his first ball for a single.

Little then flashed away a four through past the keeper and towards the Pavillion

The Originals set the Rockets 121 runs to win the 2022 Men’s Hundred.

The eye-catching pair of Dawid Malan and Alex Hales opened the batting for the Rockets and Richard Gleeson had the new ball for the Originals.

Gleeson started well with some perfect length and the Rockets were kept at bay early doors, Malan did get the Rockets off the mark with their first four of their innings.

Hales pulled away Little for four as the Rockets looked to up the momentum from a decent start to their reply.

Yet Hales was stopped in his tracks when he hit a ball which seemed to stick in the pitc slightly looping hgh up into the sky.

After what seemed like an eternity, the ball dropped kindly in the hands of Walter.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore in at three, the Rockets 16-1.

Kohler-Cadmore looked in the zone, and he hit a superb drive back up the slope towards the members pavilion to move the Rockets to 27-1 from 24 balls.

Malan and Kohler-Cadmore kept the scoreboard ticking over, and Malan looked to open up and his lofty hit went for four.

The Rockets rebuild was broken by Matt Parkinson who, after review, trapped Kohler-Cadmore LBW and left the Rockets 45-2 with 60 balls remaining.

The wicket brought Samit Patel to the crease, who impressed so much with the ball earlier in the evening.

The pressure was put on the Rockets even more when Malan’s leading edge was caught in the covers spectacularly by Stubbs.

Rockets 49-3, 54 balls left and another 72 needed for victory. Game on at the Home of Cricket.

New man Colin Munro opened his account with a huge six, he was looking to reduce any nerves almost instantly.

At the halfway stage, the Rockets needed another 63 runs to seal victory, but Originals tails were now up.

Munro timed a drive down the boundary off Parkinson perfectly for four, before a blungened four back over the bowler’s head moved him onto 16.

This cameo ended immediately after this second four, as he looked to go one step further but could only succeed in being caught on the boundary. A spirited effort, and a huge wicket for the Originals. 68-4, Tom Moores made his way to the crease.

He stood and delivered a sweet hit that just beat the fielder to the boundary to get off the mark in style.

It was into the ‘dot balls are precious’ realm and Paul Walter was doing his part, this was until a bouncer hit Patel on the side of the helmet and the match was paused.

Patel dusted himself off and tried to go after Walter, but the next two deliveries went for just one run.

The Rockets looked intent on nudging their way to the finish line and despite the loss of wickets, they remained in poll position with 30 balls remaining. The target was just 39 away now and the Nottingham-based side had plenty of wickets in the shed.

However, the result wasn’t certain, especially when Patel holed out for nine as he looked to go big. 85-5 and Sams joined Moores in the middle.

30 needed from 20 balls for the Trent Rockets - a month of cricket was whittling down to a tense conclusion.

Walter was back with his spot on deliveries, one zipped past the bat of Moores before Moores hit back with a four back towards the Pavilion.

Then - another huge wicket for the Originals. Sams tried to go big off Walter but his effort fell kindly to Stubbs.

Lewis Gregory entered the fray with the Rockets 97-6.

Perhaps the game winning moment? A huge hit towards the boundary was caught by the man, but he was unable to stop the ball going over the ropes. 15 from 13 needed.

The very next ball Sams tried this again - this time he was a goner. 106-7 and 15 runs needed from 12 balls.

No one would have wanted to predict how this one would go with 10 balls remaining.

Carter and Gregory were the men tasked with getting the Rockets over the finish line. Carter wouldn’t be there at the end however, as he was caught in the deep to move the Originals closer to a hugely memorable victory.

107-8 with eight balls remaining. Lord’s was electric and the crowd were relishing a classic.

A well run two left the Rockets needing 11 from the final five balls - Richard Gleeson was handed the ball for the final time this season in the Hundred.

If this was a pressure situation, then no one told Lewis Gregory. A beautiful flicked six and then a fine four moved the Rockets to just one from the title.

In a matter of seconds, Originals’ hopes had faded.

The Rockets for the job done with a ball to spare and sealed a fantastic win.

Lords has been home to some thrilling cricket matches - this was another to add to its rich tapestry.