LOS vs OVI Match Preview
The Dan Lawrence-led London Spirit team will be hoping to put up a better performance this season even as it received a couple of jolts when it comes to player availability. Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh, who are among the top all-rounders in the T20 format have pulled out and won’t be available for the entire season.
In such a case, Adam Rossington will be the key batsman for the home team as he was the top-scorer for them last time. In addition to Rossington, London has quite a few explosive players in the middle order, including Daryl Mitchell, Ravi Bopara, and Liam Dawson.
Jordan Thompson was the leading wicket-taker for the team last season and will lead the pace attack along with Mark Wood and Nathan Ellis, while Mason Crane will be the key spinner for the team. Mark Wood is also nursing a bruised ankle after a long Ashes series and may very well not be available for this match.
Will Jacks was the top-scoring batsman for the Oval Invincibles last season and will once again be a part of the star-studded batting line-up, including players like Jason Roy, Jordan Cox, Sam Billings, and Heinrich Klaasen. On paper, this batting attack has enough firepower to take on any other bowling attack of the Hunder 2023 season.
Heinrich Klaasen lit up the MLC with his heroics and will be someone to watch out for.
The bowling was the Achilles heel for the Invincibles last season and they have brought in reinforcements to strengthen it.
The seam attack will feature Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Gus Atkinson, as well as Pakistani talent Ihsanullah. Star spinner Sunil Narine is likely to feature in this match before he departs for the CPL and will bowl alongside Nathan Sowter.
The overall balance of the team seems to be much better than it was last season and if the players remain fit, the first few matches of the Hundred could be quite productive for it.
Weather Report
The weather will remain overcast and there is a chance of rain, leading to delays.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Lord’s cricket ground is good to bat on, especially during the first innings. The ball comes on nicely to the bat and the batsmen will enjoy the pace on offer. However, the surface does slow down a bit as the match progresses and the spinners will get some turn.
Notable stats
Jordan Thompson: Hidden Gem
Thompson was the leading wicket-taker for them last season. He picked up 14 wickets in 9 matches and has a strike rate of 11.85.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
LOS vs OVI Probable 11
LOS Playing 11
- Adam Rossington (Wk)
- Daniel Bell-Drummond
- Ben McDermott
- Daniel Lawrence (C)
- Ravi Bopara
- Jordan Thompson
- Liam Dawson
- Nathan Ellis
- Mason Crane
- Chris Wood
- Daryl Mitchell
OVI Playing 11
- Will Jacks
- Jason Roy
- Jordan Cox
- Sam Billings (C)
- Heinrich Klaasen
- Sam Curran
- Tom Curran
- Sunil Narine
- James Neesham
- Tom Lawes
- Nathan Sowter
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Oval Invincibles to win here. They have a good record against London Spirit and we expect them to build up on that momentum. While the bowling strength of both teams is more or less the same, it is the batting that can be the key factor and the Invincibles have an advantage there.
Top Picks
Will Jacks: Will Jacks scored 261 runs last season at an average of 43.50. His strike rate was 171.17 and he also picked up a wicket.
Sam Curran: One of the most reliable all-rounders, Sam Curran scored 192 runs during the last season and also picked up 8 wickets.
Ravi Bopara: Ravi Bopara is an experienced campaigner and can contribute to all aspects of the game. He has scored 9041 runs in T20s and has picked up 267 wickets.
LOS vs OVI Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: H Klaasen (C), S Billings, A Rossington
Batters: J Roy, W Jacks (VC), R Bopara
All-rounders: S Curran, D Mitchell, S Narine, J Thompson
Bowlers: N Sowter
