Jordan Thompson produced his best Hundred bowling figures as London Spirit trounced Manchester Originals by 52 runs to register a second successive win and go top of the table.
Seamer Thompson, who took two wickets on his tournament debut at the Oval last week, followed that up with a remarkable four for 21 from 20 balls to steamroller the Originals for just 108 at Lord’s.
He was ably backed up by the rest of the Spirit attack to ensure a second successive defeat for the Manchester outfit as the home side’s total of 160 for six, with Zak Crawley top-scoring on 41 from 34, proved to be more than enough.
The result continued a notable turnaround for Eoin Morgan’s team, who have already recorded more victories than they managed when finishing bottom in last year’s inaugural tournament.
Having opted to bat, Spirit soon lost Adam Rossington to a first-ball duck, leg before to Sean Abbott and they struggled for momentum despite some powerful blows to the boundary by Crawley.
His partnership of 54 from 33 with Morgan raised the home side’s prospects of a sizeable score, with the skipper walloping both Tom Hartley and Matt Parkinson over the fence to reach 37 from 26.
However, the batting side could make little of Paul Walter’s nagging line and changes of pace – the Originals’ left-armer finishing with miserly figures of two for 18 from his 20 deliveries.
With Morgan eventually mistiming a drive off Walter that sailed into the hands of long on, another two quick wickets left Spirit wobbling slightly at 120 for five.
They were revived by a belligerent cameo from Kieron Pollard, who smashed 34 from just 11 deliveries – including two brutal sixes off Fred Klaassen’s final set – to propel his side up to the 160 mark.
The Originals were counting on an explosive start from Jos Buttler – but England’s white-ball captain departed for just six, skying Thompson and Mason Crane raced from point to grab a difficult diving catch in the vicinity of third man.
Spirit’s seamers ensured boundaries were few and far between in the early stages, with only three registered from the first 37 balls and the visitors continued to shed wickets at regular intervals.
Thompson foxed Wayne Madsen with a slower delivery and then had Walter caught at point, while the most eye-catching dismissal was that of Andre Russell, run out at the bowler’s end by Liam Dawson’s direct hit from point.
Viewing the carnage from the other end, Phil Salt (36 from 34) did his best to hold the Originals’ innings together – but, when he was bowled by Dawson, any faint hopes of a recovery evaporated.
