Manchester Originals vs Northern Superchargers Prediction: Can Buttler provide early fireworks for Originals?

The Hundred brings a new flavor to the game of cricket that keeps on involving and gives us moments to cherish at a constant rate. ECB has its hands full trying to promote the game and this season is going to be the test if the new format has attracted the attention of the public. Has it? The game between the Manchester Originals and the Northern Superchargers can be a great barometer. 

The Originals were unable to make the top three last season, finishing in the fifth spot with 3 wins and four losses. Their batting wasn’t good enough during chases and that was one aspect where they needed to improve a lot. Jos Buttler is a phenomenal batter and he will be raring to get his spirit back after his national team England was not up to the mark. Phil Salt will need to give viable starts whereas Andre Russell will have to perform a tenuous job of finishing games as a batter.

With Wanindu Hasaranga not coming over, the Originals will need to find a strong performance from Matt Parkinson as a spinner. Ollie Robinson and Jamie Overton will not be available which has to be a big blow to the team and the event as a whole. It also means that Richard Gleeson’s responsibilities as a bowler are going to multiply. How will the Originals find strong bowling combinations? Is there any depth to their bowling? Can Fred Klaasen help them?

Like the Originals, the Superchargers finished in a rather low spot, missing the top three spots by a fair distance. They faced a shocker when Ben Stokes chose to skip the tournament to rest for the Test series ahead and due to that, the team is going to have balance issues. Matthew Potts will need to play a huge role in the two games he is available and he is great with his variations. So the bowling responsibilities will be huge for young Potts.

Adil Rashid gives a great veteran touch to the bowling and he can bother the opposition with his arsenal. In terms of batting, captain Faf du Plessis will have a huge responsibility as the skipper and he can get it done as a proven player in the short format. Harry Brook gives a decent balance to the batting lineup and allrounder Dwayne Bravo will be the team’s crucial all-around player. It will be interesting to see how Superchargers compensate for the lack of big hitters.

When you have hitters like Buttler and Russell, the confidence is of course going to be sky-high. The Superchargers seem to have a better bowling lineup than the Originals but their batting lacks the same oomph. It is going to be interesting how Buttler responds here early on and if he fires on quick, the foundation of a big total can be laid if his team bats first. Overall, I feel this can be a high-scoring game, no matter who bats first. I’ll back Originals here and believe Buttler will go for a big scoring evening.