3 Reasons Why SB Lost to OI in the 19th Match of The Hundred 2025

The air was electric in Southampton as the floodlights glinted through the August night, and this Southern Brave fan base was ready for a statement performance against the table-topping Oval Invincibles in The Hundred 2025. Rather than a statement performance, they instead got a harsh reminder that cricket is a cruel game, one that doesn’t suffer the faint-hearted. Brave spluttered, grappled and eventually failed, as they surrendered a seven-wicket defeat, suffering some combination of self-inflicted wounds and an all-round superstar taking control.

Batting Collapse Sends Braves Tumbling

Brave’s first nail coffin came with the batting collapse. Forget about firecrackers, this was more like damp squibs in the rain. James Vince nicked off early, Jason Roy scratched around for a torturous 5 off 11, and Michael Bracewell contrived to bowl himself out—literally—first ball. After 40 balls, Brave found themselves reeling at 42 for 5, their top order dismantled by Rashid Khan’s magic.

Hilton Cartwright and Jordan Thompson did their best to put some sticking plaster over the gaping hole in the hull, with a pair of counterpunches, but a total of 133 off 98 deliveries was never going to threaten the league leaders. When half a side goes missing before the innings has even settled, the writing is on the wall in the pavilion.

Sam Curran’s All-Round Brilliance

Enter Sam Curran. If Brave’s innings collapse represented the first half of the story of this match, Curran wrote the second half in bold ink. His three wickets were brutal – finishing Cartwright’s resistance with an outstanding yorker, putting an end to any notion there may have been of a late onslaught. To underline his claim as Player of the Match, Curran then strode out to bat and produced an eye-catching 50 not out from just 32 balls.

Together with Jordan Cox, who played a lovely innings of 56, Curran made that meager target look like child’s play. Quite every time Brave sniffed a chance to get back into the match, Curran either produced a boundary or smartly rotated the strike. It was a performance steeped in arrogance, the sort of show you tell your grandchildren about The Hundred 2025.

Inability to Adapt Under Pressure

Aside from collapses and brave heroics from Curran, Brave’s demise was their failure to manage the moment. While Craig Overton and Jofra Archer bowled tightly at the top of the innings, others sprayed the ball around like broken garden sprinklers. Tymal Mills leaked 37 runs from 15 balls, while Jordan Thompson went for 31 from 14, and suddenly Brave’s bowling card looked like a donation to charity.

On top of that, there was indecisiveness—poor shot selection in pressure moments, poor reviews, and a run out at the death. It wasn’t just that they got outplayed; Brave ensured that they were continually tripping over themselves at critical times.

In the end, the Invincibles sauntered home with 11 balls to spare and an unshakeable aura of inevitability. For Southern Brave, this was less a defeat and more a lesson – you can’t win games if your top order fails, you let opposition stars play freely, and your bowlers forget what to do.

FAQs

Who won the 19th match of The Hundred 2025 between Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles?

Oval Invincibles won by 7 wickets with 11 balls to spare.

What was Southern Brave’s total score in the match?

Southern Brave scored 133 runs in 98 balls.

Who were the key contributors to Oval Invincibles’ chase?

Jordan Cox scored 56 and Sam Curran remained unbeaten on 50.