Mitchell Marsh and Dan Lawrence delivered powerful half‑centuries as SunRisers Leeds edged past Southern Brave in a closely contested match at Headingley, securing the franchise's first victory of the season. Marsh opened the innings with a blistering 69 off just 34 deliveries, hammering six sixes and four fours, while Lawrence followed with an unbeaten 51 from 25 balls, propelling the hosts to a competitive total of 187 for 5.
The innings began with SunRisers captain Zak Crawley falling for a golden duck, his wicket taken by England spinner Adil Rashid, who also claimed the wickets of Marsh and fellow opener Ryan Rickelton (who made 37). Rashid’s early breakthroughs set the tone for a tense chase. In response, Southern Brave’s Harry Brook was clean bowled for three by Marcus Stoinis, but the Brave managed a late surge thanks to Lawrence’s continued aggression and a quickfire 21 from Tom Alsop, which helped SunRisers finish strongly. Ben McKinney led the Brave’s reply with a rapid 44 off 23 balls, while opener Jamie Smith contributed 30 from 18 deliveries and Australian all‑rounder Marcus Stoinis added 31 from 16.
Tristan Stubbs kept the visitors in contention with an unbeaten 43 from 20 balls, but SunRisers held on to claim the win, leaving Brave winless after two games. In the women's fixture, Southern Brave recorded their second consecutive victory, defeating SunRisers Leeds by five wickets.
Jemimah Rodrigues remained not out on 42 from 34 balls, and Australian captain Sophie Molineux added 21 from 17 as the visitors chased down a target of 117 with four balls to spare. SunRisers’ Bryony Smith scored a quickfire 48 off 34 balls, featuring six fours and a six, to set the total of 116. Ravindra’s spectacular knock also featured prominently in the day’s action. Welsh Fire’s Rachin Ravindra produced a 98‑run innings off 44 balls, the joint fourth‑highest score in the history of the men’s Hundred, guiding the team to a 15‑run win over MI London in front of a record crowd at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
The Oval‑based franchise, which has dominated the competition for the past three summers, saw its star‑studded bowling attack unable to contain Ravindra, who struck the ball with such authority that the crowd was left buzzing. He reached his half‑century in just 22 balls, dispatching Rashid Khan over the mid‑wicket boundary for his fifty. Joe Root contributed 29 from 26 balls, but it was Ravindra who kept the momentum, smashing four sixes in an eight‑ball spell and surpassing Jonny Bairstow’s previous record (86 not out) for the highest individual score by a Fire batter.
After Root was stumped off Rashid Khan, Jordan Cox provided a lively cameo, yet all eyes remained on Ravindra as he approached the coveted three‑figure mark. He was eventually dismissed for 98 on the 98th delivery, caught by Jason Roy off an impressive spell from Trent Boult (1‑16). Despite falling just short of a century, his innings remained the highlight of the match. MI London’s chase began poorly, with Will Jacks falling early to Sam Cook.
However, the visitors recovered to 72‑1 after 46 deliveries before Lockie Ferguson struck twice in consecutive balls, removing Jason Roy and then delivering a golden‑duck dismissal of Sam Curran. Ferguson’s third wicket came when he dismissed Nicholas Pooran, and Ravindra later produced a piece of magic by catching and bowling James Vince (66 from 38) at a crucial juncture. Fire’s bowlers held their nerve in the death overs, with Rutherford finishing unbeaten on 24 from 18 balls and Ferguson cleaning up Tom Curran, securing the team’s second win of the campaign. Ravindra, named 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." In the women's Hundred, Welsh Fire again displayed dominance, with Sophie Devine and Georgia Wareham leading a commanding 60‑run victory over MI London at Sophia Gardens.
After a loss to Southern Brave in their opening match, Fire rebounded by posting 177‑4, the third‑highest total ever recorded in the tournament. Captain Devine smashed 52 from 29 balls, while Wareham contributed 43 from 20. Openers Georgia Voll and Ella McCaughan added 42 and 27 respectively, setting a solid platform. Grace Potts then claimed three wickets for 24 runs, dismantling MI London’s batting line‑up, which collapsed to 117 all out for a second straight defeat.
The weekend’s double‑header continues with Manchester Super Giants facing Birmingham Phoenix at Old Trafford, the women’s game 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 match starting at 2:30 pm and the men’s at 6 pm.
Both fixtures will be streamed live on Sky Sports, and fans can also watch The Hundred and additional content contract‑free on NOW.