In a thrilling showdown at Headingley, the SunRisers Leeds secured their inaugural victory of the season by edging out Southern Brave in a nail‑biting contest. The match was highlighted by explosive half‑centuries from Mitchell Marsh and Dan Lawrence, who together set a formidable target for the visitors. Marsh opened the innings with a flamboyant display, rattling the ropes for six sixes and four fours as he amassed 69 runs from just 34 deliveries.
His aggressive approach set the tone early, putting pressure on the Brave bowlers and allowing the SunRisers to build momentum. Following Marsh’s dismissal, Lawrence took charge, remaining unbeaten on 51 off a rapid 25 balls. His innings, punctuated by crisp boundaries and deft running between the wickets, helped Leeds post a competitive total of 187 for 5. SunRisers captain Zak Crawley was the first wicket to fall, succumbing to a golden‑duck dismissal at the hands of England spinner Adil Rashid, who claimed his third wicket of the day after previously removing both Marsh and fellow opener Ryan Rickelton (who had contributed 37).
Rashid’s variations proved too much for the top order, but the middle and lower order stepped up to see the team home. In the chase, Southern Brave’s Harry Brook was clean bowled for three by Marcus Stoinis, an early blow that forced Brave into a rebuilding phase. However, Lawrence’s earlier heroics and a quickfire 21 from Tom Alsop gave the SunRisers the momentum they needed in the final overs. Ben McKinney led the Brave’s reply with a blistering 44 off just 23 balls, while opener Jamie Smith added 30 from 18 deliveries and Australian all‑rounder Marcus Stoinis contributed 31 from 16.
Tristan Stubbs kept the visitors within touching distance with an unbeaten 43 from 20 balls, but the SunRisers held firm, clinching their first win of the tournament as Brave remained winless after two matches. The women’s fixture saw Southern Brave continue their perfect start, registering a second consecutive victory by dismissing SunRisers Leeds with a five‑wicket haul. Jemimah Rodrigues anchored the chase with an unbeaten 42 off 34 balls, and Australian captain Sophie Molineux added 21 from 17, guiding the team to the required 117 with four balls to spare.
For the SunRisers, Bryony Smith’s aggressive 48 off 34 balls – featuring six fours and a six – formed the backbone of their 116‑run total, but it wasn’t enough to fend off the determined Brave side. In a separate marquee match at Sophia Gardens, Welsh Fire’s rising star Rachin Ravindra produced a near‑century that will be remembered for years. Ravindra’s 98 from 44 balls stands as the joint fourth‑highest individual score in the history of the men’s Hundred, propelling Fire to a 15‑run triumph over MI London in front of a record crowd in Cardiff.
The Oval‑based franchise, which has dominated the competition for the past three summers, found their usually lethal bowling attack unable to contain Ravindra’s on‑fire form. Ravindra’s innings was a masterclass in power hitting and timing. He reached his fifty in just 22 balls, the milestone arriving with a clean sweep of Rashid Khan over the mid‑wicket boundary. Partnering with England stalwart Joe Root, who contributed a steady 29 off 26, Ravindra kept the scoreboard ticking, unleashing four sixes in an eight‑ball burst that eclipsed Jonny Bairstow’s previous record for the highest Fire score (86 not out).
After Root was dismissed via a stumping off Khan, Jordan Cox offered a brief cameo, but the spotlight remained firmly on Ravindra as he inched toward the coveted hundred. Ultimately, he fell short at 98, caught behind by Jason Roy off a superb delivery from Trent Boult, who recorded figures of 1‑16. MI London’s reply began poorly with Will Jacks falling early to Sam Cook. Nevertheless, they recovered to 72‑1 after 46 deliveries, only for Lockie Ferguson to swing the momentum back with two consecutive wickets – first dismissing Jason Roy and then golden‑duck Sam Curran.
Ferguson’s spell continued with the removal of the dangerous Nicholas Pooran, and he later claimed the final wicket of the innings, ensuring Fire’s bowlers held their nerve in the death overs. Rutherford sealed the victory with an unbeaten 24 from 18 balls, while Ferguson wrapped up Tom Curran, delivering Fire’s second win of the campaign. After the match, Ravindra, dubbed the Meerkat Match Hero, reflected on the achievement: "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 saw Welsh Fire dominate, with Sophie Devine and Georgia Wareham leading a powerful display that saw Fire defeat MI London by 60 runs at Sophia Gardens.
After a loss to Southern Brave in their opening game, Fire rebounded by posting 177‑4, the third‑highest total in the tournament’s short history. Devine’s 52 from 29 balls and Wareham’s 43 from 20 anchored the innings, supported by solid contributions from openers Georgia Voll (42) and Ella McCaughan (27). On the bowling side, Grace Potts claimed three for 24, dismantling MI London’s batting line‑up, which collapsed to 117 all out for a second consecutive defeat.
Looking ahead, the Hundred’s double‑header on Sunday will feature Manchester Super Giants versus Birmingham Phoenix at Old Trafford, with the women’s match kicking off at 11 am and the men’s contest following at 2:30 pm. Later in the day, Trent Rockets will take on London Spirit at Trent Bridge, with the women’s game slated for 2:30 pm and the men’s match at 6 pm.
Both fixtures will be streamed live on Sky Sports, and fans can also watch the action contract‑free on the NOW platform.