Sunrisers Leeds edged Southern Brave by five runs in a tense Hundred fixture at Headingley on Saturday, sealing their first win of the season behind fifties from Mitchell Marsh and Dan Lawrence. Chasing 188, Southern Brave fell just short despite a late surge from Tristan Stubbs, as Sunrisers’ bowlers held their nerve through the closing overs.
Marsh, who made 41 on his debut earlier in the week, followed it up with 69 off 34 balls in his first home appearance, striking six sixes and anchoring an opening stand of 111 with Ryan Rickelton. Lawrence then finished unbeaten on 51 from just 25 deliveries, pushing Sunrisers to 187 for 5, a total that proved just enough to defend on a used surface.
Marsh and Lawrence Power Sunrisers to 187
Marsh and Rickelton put on 111 runs together before Rickelton fell for 37 off 27 balls, top-edging a catch to give Adil Rashid his first wicket. Rashid struck twice more in the same over, removing Marsh at extra cover and then bowling Zak Crawley for a golden duck off a slower delivery.
Harry Brook fell soon after for 3, leaving Sunrisers wobbling at 120 for 4. Lawrence steadied the innings from there, launching consecutive sixes off Jofra Archer, who conceded 47 runs without taking a wicket in his four overs. Lawrence added 67 runs with Tom Alsop in just 30 balls, and Alsop’s own quickfire 21 off 10 helped push the total past 180 in the final over.
ALSO READ: Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran Power MI London to Opening Win in The Hundred
Rashid’s Triple Strike Puts Brave Under Pressure
Rashid finished with figures of 3 for 21 from his four overs, a spell that shifted momentum firmly in Sunrisers’ favor after Marsh’s early assault. His removal of three batters in the space of five balls, Rickelton, Marsh and Crawley, left Southern Brave needing early repair work in their chase.
Ben McKinney responded with intent, racing to 44 off 23 balls before falling to Matthew Potts, while Jamie Smith struck three sixes in an 18-ball 30. Marcus Stoinis kept the required rate manageable by taking on both Brydon Carse and Matthew Revis, leaving Brave needing 72 from the last 40 balls.
SUGGESTED READ: The Hundred Secures Shirt Sponsors Without Gambling Brands After ECB Push
Abrar and Ellis Close Out the Win at the Death
Abrar Ahmed turned the chase again despite an expensive start, dismissing David Miller and then Stoinis in the same over to leave Brave scrambling. Stubbs kept the target alive, hitting Revis for successive sixes and then finding boundaries off Potts, but Nathan Ellis conceded just nine runs from his final 10 balls and removed Nikhil Chaudhary at a crucial stage. With 21 needed from Potts’ last five deliveries, Sunrisers held on, restricting Brave to 182 for 5 and completing a five-run win. Stubbs finished unbeaten on 43 off 20 balls, but his effort came too late to complete the chase.
Speaking after the match, Marsh credited the bowling unit for closing out the win under pressure and called Headingley one of his favorite grounds to bat on. The result lifts Sunrisers Leeds off the bottom of the table, while Southern Brave will look to regroup ahead of their next fixture in the competition.
Follow JeetWin Sports for the latest cricket news and updates.
