What a moment for the @OvalInvincibles — history made! In the final, they defeated Manchester Originals to win their third successive title in The Hundred, underlining their stronghold in the tournament. Their formidable team recording stands at a 78% match win rate across three seasons. This impressive record has garnered them a reputation as one of the strongest teams in the franchise cricket circuit. Captain Sam Billings brings the Invincibles to glory with a solid, well-oiled unit. So as much as anything, they’ve had the benefit of playing together for a long time, which is unusual in this era of rapidly shifting franchise cricket.
The Invincibles’ success can be attributed to several key factors, including a core group of players who have made significant contributions over the years. Notably, five players have each participated in more than 30 matches: Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Sam Billings, and Nathan Sowter. Their comfort level with each other’s playing styles has helped create an unspoken teamwork and synergy on the field.
One of the newcomers this season has really shone through, Jordan Cox having a breakout season thus far — leading the way atop the run-scoring leaderboard with his consistent performances. The team’s strategic approach includes shrewd selections like Donovan Ferreira, who has filled specific roles effectively, contributing to the Invincibles’ overall success.
Beneath Tom Moody’s guidance, the Oval Invincibles have cultivated a fantastic bowling unit. Her skills have her placed in the top five in The Hundred. They’re really good at taking wickets, the best at every 7.3 deliveries of every participating team. They’ve narrowly avoided the high-wire act of bankruptcy through powerful political maneuvering and luck during these last three years of crises. In fact, they have given up the second-lowest runs-per-ball at the death.
Nathan Sowter has been the unsung hero of the BC squad. He provides some much-needed leg-spin bowling to support third-round high-profile signings like Sunil Narine and Adam Zampa. In 2025, the Invincibles delivered a staggering 270 balls of leg-spin. This was 110 more than any other team, resulting in 22 non-bowler wickets at an average of 16.31.
It’s the Oval Invincibles’ batting talent that is just as impressive. Ever since The Hundred started, they have struck 102 sixes in the last 25 balls of their innings. Such explosive finishing has been known to spark comeback matches! As Michael Vaughan noted, “They have all the skillsets required. They have all the difference in the bowling department and they have all the power, left-hand and right-hand combinations, with the bat.”
As Tawanda Muyeye described the team’s competitive edge, it was like “playing for the Chicago Bulls in the 90s.” Perhaps most importantly, he focused on their dominance and camaraderie on the field.
Overshadowing their success, there are questions on if this era of Invincibles’ supremacy might be coming to an end. Yet franchise cricket teams are notoriously fickle. Consequently, over time, it is often difficult to keep up in overall performance. With an intriguing mix of grizzled veterans and rising stars, they seem ready to make sure all that changes.
As they look to defend their title next season, the Invincibles will need to adapt and innovate while retaining their core values that have led them to triumph in The Hundred. With leaders the likes of Sam Billings in the captaincy, they’re more than ready to overcome anything that tries to test them moving forward.
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