Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets: The Hundred Tips: Oval face stiffest test yet

• Invincibles no better than 1.654/6

• Hosts have few weaknesses

• Root there to be taken on

• Rockets should get a foothold

Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets
Thursday 21 August, 18.30
TV: Live on Sky Sports

Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets team news

Oval Invincibles are on course for a third-straight title victory and it is fair to say that identifying a weakness in their XI is tricky. They have clutch players who keep delivering in big moments across the disciplines. Jordan Cox with the bat, the Curran brothers in the all-rounder slots and Aussie quick Jason Behrendorff. And then there's Rashid Khan. They perhaps lack an opener of real destructive intent but Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye are still a threat. 

Probable Oval XI:  KJacks, Muyeye, Cox, S Curran, Billings, Ferreira, T Curran, Rashid, Clark, Sowter, Behrendorff

Rockets are keeping pace with Oval but they might not be utilising respurces as well as they can. As these pages have reported before Joe Root is costing them in the opening role. He is averaging 12 at a strike rate of 103. No-one else would get a game with that record.

Bizarrely they face the prospect of losing their best batter, Tom Moores, due to a ruling on replacement players. Moores has to leave the squad because a fit-again Tom Alsop has returned. And even though Adam Hose is now injured the same player can be used again as a replacement. Tom Banton may keep again.

Possible Rockets XI:  Root, Banton, Rehan, Holden, Stoinis, Alsop, Willey, Hain, Linde, Cook, Ferguson

Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets pitch report

The Oval should offer some seam and swing for the pace bowlers. We don't expect a runfest. That conclusion may sound strange because Oval smashed 226 in the last outing. But their opponents were the dreadful Welsh Fire. Previously Originals could manage only 128. The truth is between the two and in an expected high-quality contest, runs could be at a premium. Rockets unders 146.5 match runs could be a good jumping off point. 

Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets match prediction

This could well be a dress rehearsal for the final. It could also be billed as a semi-final. The winner will have a major advantage in heading the section which guarantees passage straight through to the final. Teams finishing second and third then play-off.

With the tension ratcheted up for the first time in a competition which has been, frankly, dreadful viewing so far, it is to be hoped this is a thriller. But there's not much thrilling about the odds. On the Exchange nothing is being given away on Oval at 1.654/6 and given this is their toughest test for some time (including last season) we were hoping for a little more.

Rockets have the nous and ability to trade shorter but, ultimately, we expect those areas of weakness as disccused above to cost them the points. Invincibles to march on. 

Oval Invincibles v Trent Rockets player bets

Let's take on Joe Root's player performance line at a high 26.5. Yes, we all know about the man's reputation and reliability. But that has never translated in this format. His record is poor. His ten-game average make-up is 21.2 and playing unders at this line would have won six of the last ten. His all-time record in The Hundred has him averaging 27.6. But given the workload this summer against India his game looks tired. 

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