Manchester Super Giants Lift Maiden Men's Hundred Title
Three weeks ago, Manchester Super Giants were facing elimination at the hands of the Bulldogs. They were winners on Sunday night at Lord's. Turnarounds like Jos Buttler's side going from the barrel to the trophy were some of the most spectacular in this year's Hundred; and Tim Seifert's batting display was responsible for those birds.
Breathe out, breathe in, and keep going!Exhale, inhale, and continue!
The Super Giants' journey to the denouement was far from easy. With a third straight group-stage loss, they were hanging by a thread two weekends before the final. What came next was an astonishing five-match winning which saw them beat SunRisers Leeds in the eliminator on Friday and qualify for the showpiece match at Lord's on Sunday.
A lot of that resurgence came at the top. Aiden Markram took a personal break mid-season, handing over the leadership to Jos Buttler — and the team took another stride to its next form almost straight away. With Markram absent, Paul Walter of Essex came up with a shot to open up the top order and struck at almost 180 off the back end of the season. With him, Seifert became the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, scoring four half-centuries. Follow upcoming cricket matches, team news, player form, and important tournament developments with Winmatch. The Winmatch blog provides more cricket-related stories and insights, while information about Winmatch register and Winmatch login is also available for readers.
A Final Seifert Made His Own
After their women's team had been crowned champions earlier in the day, Trent Rockets went all out in their efforts with 158 runs in a series of useful contributions with no giant knock. Lewis Gregory, who had tied the scores with the winning runs when the Rockets won the title four years ago, hit a fast 32 and Mitchell Santner's unbeaten innings with the help of some late hitting by Craig Overton pushed the score past 150.
It didn't even seem like it would be enough. Seifert simply stole the game from Trent Rockets, having smashed out 72 runs off 38 deliveries, including seven sixes, putting Buttler (one of the most prolific six hitters in the format) on the backsfoot. One worried look was saved on 33 when a leaping fielder saved his legside shot from hitting over the rope, but otherwise there was nothing to mar his spell.
Manchester's charge did falter towards the end. The Rockets rallied to claw back into the game but it was a tight finish as wickets started to fall in quick succession. But it was Liam Dawson, under pressure at the end, who had to make the call as he withstood two stoutly contested dot balls and then powered his six to seal a five-wicket win with two balls to spare.
Noor Ahmad's Game-Changing Spell
Seifert grabbed the headlines with the bat but Noor Ahmad took the platform for the victory earlier. His three wickets for 33 came in a four-delivery double-strike that turned the Rockets' innings on its head, chasing a comfortable 48 without loss to 52 for 2. The Rockets went into a tizzy as a run-out caught Aneurin Donald's uncapped 38 only for three wickets to fall in 11 balls, including a run-out — and then the late cameos took the charge for a defendable total.
What It Means
The victory marks the first Hundred championship for the franchise since its rebranding and takeover from the Originals last year with a new name, Manchester Super Giants. It was also a rare men's-and-women's double for Trent Rockets, who had beaten SunRisers Leeds in the previous match at the same venue, earlier in the day.
Buttler, who was filling in for the first time for a more high-pressure job, felt a mixture of relief and elation after the game. The Super Giants side looked to be out of contention just a few weeks ago and Sunday at Lord's was a fitting end to a summer of late, dramatic turnaround.
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