In a tightly contested showdown at Headingley, the SunRisers Leeds secured their inaugural victory of the tournament by edging out Southern Brave in a nail‑biting encounter. The match was highlighted by explosive innings from Mitchell Marsh and Dan Lawrence, who both posted rapid half‑centuries that proved decisive.
Marsh opened the batting with a blistering display, unleashing six sixes and four fours to amass 69 runs from just 34 deliveries. His aggressive approach set the tone for the innings and put the opposition on the back foot early. Following Marsh’s dismissal, Lawrence took charge, remaining unbeaten on 51 off a mere 25 balls. His quick scoring propelled the SunRisers to a competitive total of 187 for 5.
SunRisers captain Zak Crawley, however, fell early, dismissed for a golden duck as England spinner Adil Rashid claimed his third wicket of the afternoon. Rashid had already removed both Marsh and fellow opener Ryan Rickelton, who had contributed 37 runs. The spin wizard’s early breakthroughs kept the pressure on Leeds throughout the innings.
On the bowling side, Marcus Stoinis made an impact by clean‑bowling Harry Brook for three runs. Lawrence’s subsequent partnership, bolstered by a rapid 21 from Tom Alsop, helped the hosts finish strongly and set a challenging target for the visitors.
Southern Brave’s chase began with Ben McKinney leading the way, blasting 44 runs off just 23 balls. Opening partner Jamie Smith added a swift 30 from 18 deliveries, while Australian all‑rounder Stoinis contributed 31 runs from a brisk 16‑ball cameo.
Tristan Stubbs kept the visitors in contention with an unbeaten 43 off 20 balls, but the SunRisers managed to hold on, clinching their first win of the season. The Brave, despite a valiant effort, remained winless after two matches. In the women's fixture, Southern Brave continued their winning run, securing a five‑wicket triumph over SunRisers Leeds.
Jemimah Rodrigues anchored the chase with an unbeaten 42 from 34 balls, and Australian captain Sophie Molineux added 21 from 17, guiding the side to the target of 117 with four balls to spare. Bryony Smith had earlier provided a solid foundation for the SunRisers, scoring a rapid 48 off 34 balls, which featured six fours and a six, setting a total of 116.
The men’s competition saw Rachin Ravindra produce a historic innings for Welsh Fire, posting the joint fourth‑highest score ever recorded in the tournament. His 98 runs from 44 balls powered the Fire to a 15‑run victory over MI London in front of a record‑breaking crowd at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The franchise, which has dominated the men’s competition for the past three summers, found their bowling attack unable to contain Ravindra’s on‑fire performance.
Ravindra’s innings was a masterclass in power hitting. He reached his fifty in just 22 balls, dispatching Rashid Khan over the mid‑wicket boundary for the milestone. With Joe Root contributing 29 from 26 balls, Ravindra accelerated further, hammering four sixes in an eight‑ball spell and surpassing Jonny Bairstow’s previous record of 86 not out for the highest individual score by a Fire batter.
As he approached his century, Ravindra was dismissed on 98, caught by Jason Roy off the impressive figures of Trent Boult (1‑16), after a spectacular catch on the 98th delivery. MI London’s reply began poorly as Will Jacks fell early to Sam Cook. However, the visitors recovered to 72‑1 after 46 deliveries, only for Lockie Ferguson to strike twice in consecutive balls, removing both Jason Roy and Sam Curran for a golden duck.
Ferguson continued his spell, claiming the wicket of Nicholas Pooran and later dismissing the dangerous James Vince (66 from 38) with a caught‑and‑bowled, turning the match in Fire’s favour. In the final overs, Rutherford finished unbeaten on 24 from 18 balls, while Ferguson completed the death overs by taking the wicket of Tom Curran, sealing Fire’s second win of the campaign. Post‑match, Ravindra, named the Meerkat Match Hero, praised his side’s performance: "We know how good the MI London side is and the history and pedigree of their team, and for us to put on a performance on our home ground, the way we played, was fantastic." The women's Hundred also featured a dominant display from Welsh Fire, with Sophie Devine and Georgia Wareham leading the charge to a 60‑run victory over MI London at Sophia Gardens. After a narrow loss to Southern Brave in their opener, Fire rebounded by posting 177‑4, the third‑highest total in the tournament’s history.
Devine contributed a swift 52 from 29 balls, while Wareham added 43 from 20. Openers Georgia Voll and Ella McCaughan supported the effort with scores of 42 and 27 respectively. Grace Potts then claimed three wickets for 24 runs, dismantling MI London’s batting line‑up, which collapsed to 117 all out for their second consecutive defeat. Looking ahead, the next double‑header on Sunday will see Manchester Super Giants face Birmingham Phoenix at Old Trafford, with the women’s match kicking off at 11 am and the men’s at 2.30 pm.
Later, Trent Rockets will take on London Spirit at Trent Bridge, with the women’s game starting at 2.30 pm and the men’s at 6 pm. Both fixtures will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can also stream The Hundred and additional content on NOW.