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| @Tymal Mills celebrates after dismissing Jos Buttler in The Hundred 2025 |
On 6 August 2025 Southern Brave survived a pulsating encounter against Manchester originals by one wicket at Emirates Old Trafford in the 2 nd men match of The Hundred 2025.
Match Highlights:
- Tymal Mills Dominated with both bat and ball--3 wickets and 22 runs, as the pivotal wickets of Buttler, Klaasen and Salt fell--to his scalp--the momentum was firmly on his side.
- A brisk 60 off 41 secured by Phil Salt supported a good Originals total as they ended with 131/4 in 100 balls
- Scott Currie bowled economically, picking up 4 wickets for 28 to frequently breach the middle and lower-order resistance of the Brave
- Jason Roy was aggressive, albeit briefly, scoring 30 off 22 balls but was dismissed off a sharp edge to Baker which points out how smart bowling into the innings ate Brave up.
- There did appear to be a faint possibility of a comeback and Mills, with the game at stake, and Craig Overton took the field with a dashing 25‑run burst off 11 balls.
- And the moment came, when Reece Topley, composedly hit a boundary off the penultimate ball*, confirming a stunning one-wicket victory with only one ball left to seal the deal.
The Southern Brave decided they would like to field first after the toss resulted in their favor and the Manchester Originals made a target score set at 131 runs using 100 balls with 4 wickets down.
- The innings was propelled by Phil Salt blazing 60 runs off 41 balls which shifted them to a defendable stance
- Tymal Mills starter with his bowling- 3 wickets 22 runs, he removed Jos Buttler, Heinrich Klaasen and ended the Salt innings- playing a leading role in keeping the Originals score down
- The side did not totally give up the game; as Mark Chapman and Lewis Gregory chipped in vital late runs to take the score to 131/4.
Southern Brave Nerve's Wracking Chase:
Brave's Chase was replete with tension and broken wickets They were all out on 133 at 9 in 19.4 overs- winning within a second to even congratulate.
Significant events involved:
- Jason Roy gave momentum with 30 off 22 balls, but was dismissed by Sonny Baker which was an early distress indicator
- Constant failures were: James Vince, Leus du Plooy, Jason Coles, Laurie Evans, Hilton Cartwright, Chris Jordan, and Michael Bracewell at critical stages that put even more pressure on the challenge.
The Final Moments: Mills, Overton and the Heroic Topley
Craig Overton and Tymal Mills then took an unlikely 25 runs in 11 balls to leave an unlikely scenario of a one-ball finish
On the next but one delivery Mills tried to win--and was caught. That led Reece Topley to the crease with three runs needed in two balls.In a twist to the match Topley hit a boundary to win the impossible match with only one ball to spare
Reflections and Player of the Match:
Tymal Mills was unsurprisingly Player of the Match, having bowled well (3 for 22) and displayed a fine cameo with the bat during the death overs (21 runs off 5 balls)
Mills remarked in a post-match commentary:
We somehow had gotten ourselves in a position where it was in our hands...one hit away... Craig came out with some big ones late... Toppers crowned it in brilliancy.”
He also mentioned the way of adjusting their lengths, hitting hard and playing bat on ball that was significant to unlock the chase even when they made it hard work.
Significance and what lies ahead:
This tense victory puts Southern Brave in an excellent position to begin the 2025 season, having won four points that will boost morale and position them to have a season to remember
Manchester Originals on the other hand will have regrets, notably the capable innings of Salt which never proved to be a quite sufficient amount. Their following matches are not going to be easier.
Takeaway:
Strategic lesson: In the tight and fast-paced formats, teams have to strategize to cope with late overs using both specialist and non-specialist players, particularly when the lower order can be the game-defining performers.
In the point of view of Manchester: The defeat despite the good total reveals the risk of not supporting death-over bowling by the aggressive actions under pressure.
Brief scores:
Manchester Originals Innings: 131/4 in 100 balls (Phil Salt 60, Mark Chapman 22;
Southern Brave Bowling: Tymal Mills 3-22, Craig Overton 1-28)
Southern Brave Innings: 133/9 in 99 balls (Jason Roy 30, Leus du Plooy 25;
Manchester Original Bowling: Scott Currie 4-28, Noor Ahmad 2-21)
Result: Southern Brave Won by 1 Wickets
Tags:
Mills' 3-fers shine