A stellar all-round show from Liam Livingstone nearly helped London Spirit snatch a win over Manchester Super Giants in their opening tussle at Lord's.
The home side's skipper smashed 69 off 40 deliveries soon after a terrific 20-10-14-2 spell late on in the first innings. Tim Seifert, in his first-ever game at Lord's, accumulated 67 runs to post a respectable, yet at the time, a subpar score.
His knock was helped by the MSG bowling attack - widely touted as one of the best in the tournament - with contributions aplenty, including a brilliant final five from young Sonny Baker defending 12.
All-round brilliance from Livingstone
Seifert's innings was characterized by three phases. He couldn't get a partnership going with skipper Aiden Markram, who perished for one off 10 deliveries.
Then came a 49-run partnership with Jos Buttler, where he latched on to pace and got the better of Adam Zampa (2-27). And when it looked like MSG would climb to 150 or more, Livingstone introduced himself into the attack.
He went on to bowl 20 off the last 25 deliveries, conceding just 14 and scalping the wickets of Liam Dawson and Gus Atkinson. Stating that it was never a plan to bowl the backend, the all-rounder said:
"It came out nicely so I thought, whatever was working, just stick with it. The wicket was a bit up and down, it was one of those pitches where they were about par, but we just got a bit too far behind the rate to catch up in the end."
Spirit had the run chase within grasp throughout, thanks to his knock that saw five maximums launched over the leg side. He played Noor Ahmad exceptionally well, scampering across his crease to access the shorter leg side boundary. And when the Afghanistan spinner tested his wrists with a wider, flatter delivery, he expertly cut him past point to illustrate the rich vein of form he was batting with.
A tough day for South African stars
While Livingstone was throwing punches in pursuit of the modest total, the Lord's crowd awaited a similar flurry from the bat of Dewald Brevis, who only managed 22 runs off 23.
It wasn't an easy pitch to bat on. There was evidence of slowness, with the Lord's slope adding to the complexity. And that was highlighted by Markram's struggling debut as well, as the opener simply couldn't put bat to ball early on.
Heinrich Klaasen (17 off 11) scooped a slower ball from David Willey, while Lhuan-dre Pretorious failed to consolidate the exceptional bowling effort of his side, falling for 12.
Sloppy fielding nearly cost Manchester Super Giants
Gus Atkinson's opening burst set it up for the visitors. He was bowling at a rapid pace with a hint of extra bounce, more prominently angling the ball away from the openers.
And while the MSG bowlers were outstanding on the day, they were not helped by their fielders. Another evening, they could've been ruing the missed opportunities on the field.
Baker slipped while trying to mop up at deep square, whereas Jos Buttler ran backwards to collect a catch and both him and the fine leg fielder left it for each other.
What could've easily been the biggest horror show was Tim Seifert's drop at deep midwicket when Livingstone, on 21 at the time, slog swept Noor over the top. The Kiwi wicketkeeper not only fumbled it, but also scooped it on the boundary cushions for six.
What next for both teams?
Manchester Super Giants will host Birmingham Phoenix at Old Trafford for a Sunday showdown, while Andy Flower's London Spirit take on Trent Rockets on the same day.
Also read: Pooran, Curran propel MI London to opening day win
