Having finished fourth and fifth in the first two editions of the tournament, this is the first time the Invincibles have reached the knockout stages after topping the table to advance straight to the final.

As for the Originals, this is the second year in a row they have reached the showpiece event having suffered a two-wicket defeat to the Trent Rockets in 2022.

England skipper the key

Jos Buttler has been a limited-overs specialist for some time now and he has showcased his destructive nature with the bat throughout the tournament, scoring a leading 380 runs from 254 balls.

The England international played a key role in the Eliminator win over Southern Brave on Saturday, smashing 82 from just 46 balls to send his side on their way to a seven-wicket victory.

Getting the 32-year-old early is an absolute must for any side and the Invincibles did manage to do this when they recorded a huge 94-run triumph at the Oval on 9th August, limiting Buttler to just 23 runs from 24 balls before sending him back to the pavilion.

However, Buttler has really clicked into gear over his last few outings and it is no surprise to see him priced at 5/6 to score Over 27.5 runs in the Batter Match Runs market.

The Englishman has also scored a joint-high 17 sixes during the tournament and it is 15/4 he clears the rope on the most occasions in the capital.

Another positive for Manchester was the destructive opening partnership between Buttler and Phil Salt last time out, the duo putting on 83 for the first wicket.

This was the duo's highest partnership of this year's Hundred and, if they are allowed to get off to another fast start, they could play a huge role in a potential victory for the Originals.

Jacks the danger man for Oval

Will Jacks is a multi-format cricketer for England and his game continues to go from strength-to-strength, as he sits top of the Invincibles' run scorer chart with 213 to his name.

The 24-year-old has also managed to chip in with three wickets and he looks a value play at 9/1 to be the Match Hero due to the fact he often plays a crucial role with both bat and ball.

One player that will be a big miss for Oval is Heinrich Klaasen, who smashed 60 from just 27 balls when his side thumped Manchester earlier in the tournament.

The South African also cleared the rope a joint-high 17 times, sitting alongside Buttler, and there is a lot of pressure on his replacement, Jimmy Neesham, to provide that same explosive, powerful hitting.

Tongue injury a blow

The Originals have had to deal with an injury to star bowler Josh Tongue, who missed the Eliminator victory and will also be forced to sit out for the final at Lord's.

He had taken a joint-high seven wickets for Manchester, alongside Josh Little and Tom Hartley, and there is pressure on others in the squad to pick up the slack.

One individual ready to step up could be Paul Walter, who took the only wicket for the Originals against the Brave last time out to take his overall tally to six scalps.

The 29-year-old left-arm medium-fast will be hoping he can maintain his form for one last match and he is 5/1 to be Manchester's Top Bowler.

Gus Atkinson and Nathan Sowter have been the stars with the ball for the Invincibles, both taking 10 wickets each, and they are priced at 3/1 and 5/1 respectively to be Oval's Top Bowler.

bet365 News Team

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