Watch: Tom Curran played arguably the shot of the tournament in the Hundred men’s 2024 final, launching Jofra Archer for six over the off-side in remarkable fashion to give Oval Invincibles some late impetus against Southern Brave.
The all-rounder, named Player of the Final in 2023 for his heroics with bat and ball, had the start of his 2024 campaign pushed back by a broken arm sustained in the T20 Blast, and came into the showpiece clash with 13 runs in three innings to his name. Oval Invincibles haven’t missed his runs greatly, topping the table with six wins from eight games, but required more in the final as they slipped to 101-5 at Curran’s entry, which became 102-6 two balls later.
After nudging two singles in his first three balls, Curran ticked up the gears with a pair of boundaries in Chris Jordan’s penultimate set before achieving lift-off against Archer. First he crunched a short ball into the crowd over mid-wicket, before playing a stroke that beggared belief to bring about another maximum. He stepped across his stumps before delivery, but Archer seemed to adjust, bowling full and wide to negate any attempt to access the leg-side.
However, Curran was equal to the task, somehow propelling through the ball to loft over the off-side instead, clearing the ropes easily.
That was the end of the fun, Archer finding a top-edge next ball for James Coles to take a well-judged catch, but Curran’s 11-ball 24 had helped Oval Invincibles up towards 150.
Watch the extraordinary Tom Curran six off Jofra Archer below:
Jofra Archer has the last laugh, but how about that first shot from Tom Curran?! 🤯#TheHundredpic.twitter.com/WMveoXCdbd
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 18, 2024
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