Pretorius’ 28-ball 64 powers London Spirit to first win of season

Lhuan-dre Pretorius blazed away to a 28-ball 64 as London Spirit chased down 165 with seven wickets and 11 balls to spare, handing MI London their second defeat of the season in a high-scoring London derby at The Oval.

The chase inside the Powerplay was almost won by the 20-year-old South African. Pretorius, who started the game with Jonny Bairstow, tore into Trent Boult right away, including a towering 106-meter six over midwicket, as Spirit made 50 in just 18 balls. The pair added 61 without loss in the first 25 balls, leaving MI London with little room to recover.

Pretorius did not appear to be slowing down, despite Bairstow's rapid 23 out of 12. He hit seven sixes and scored his first fifty in The Hundred in just 23 deliveries before Boult eventually dismissed him for 64 with Spirit already on 101. Spirit secured their first victory of the campaign thanks to an unbeaten finish by Dewald Brevis on 37 out of 18.

Earlier, MI London recovered well after a subdued start to post 164. Will Jacks and James Vince managed only 28 without loss in the Powerplay as David Willey and Adam Milne kept things tight with the new ball. The pair accelerated as the field expanded, with Jacks achieving a 30-ball half-century.

Spirit, on the other hand, dragged themselves back into the contest with a decisive burst in the middle phase. James Coles broke the opening stand by removing Vince for 26 before Jamie Overton struck twice in three balls to dismiss Jacks for a well-made 65 and Nicholas Pooran cheaply. Jacks’s innings also took him past the mark as the leading run-scorer in the history of the Men’s Hundred.

Overton added another key wicket when Jason Roy was caught behind on review after replacing Sam Curran, who missed the game as a precaution because of muscle tightness. After that, Sherfane Rutherford gave MI London a late boost with a 41-ball 19 that got them past 160 before falling off the last ball of the innings.

Rutherford’s cameo gave MI London a competitive total, but that still wasn’t enough to stop Spirit from opening their account for the season.