Sunrisers Leeds handed table-toppers Manchester Super Giants their first loss of the season, chasing down 182 with 12 balls to spare at Headingley. Mitchell Marsh‘s blistering 63 laid the platform, and Zak Crawley and Harry Brook finished the job in ruthless fashion, sealing an eight-wicket win and Sunrisers’ second victory in a row.
Speaking after the match, Marsh credited the depth of his batting lineup and the difficulty of defending totals at Headingley. “We didn’t get off to a flier in the powerplay, they bowled well, but we stuck at it,” he said. “Partnerships are key in run chases like that, and Zak was awesome today. I thought 181 was going to be a tough chase, but it’s a tough ground to defend. Headingley is one of the best grounds in the world.”
Buttler and Klaasen Power MSG to 181
Manchester Super Giants looked well placed after Jos Buttler and Heinrich Klaasen put on 105 runs off just 47 balls. Buttler finished unbeaten on 63, and Klaasen added 53 before falling. The pair’s counterattack pushed MSG to 181 for 3, a total that appeared competitive on a used Headingley surface.
Sunrisers’ bowlers, led by Jamie Overton, clawed back some control in the death overs, but the damage from the middle-order stand had already been done. At the halfway mark, MSG held the advantage, needing only a par performance from their bowlers to protect their unbeaten record and stay top of the table.
Marsh’s Assault Turns the Chase
Sunrisers stumbled early, and the equation read 148 needed off 75 balls once the powerplay ended, leaving MSG firmly in control. Then Mitch Marsh took over. The Australian, who scored an Ashes hundred at this ground back in 2023, tore into the MSG attack with a mix of front-foot pulls and hard cuts, racing to 63 off just 26 deliveries. His innings broke the back of the chase and shifted momentum decisively toward the home side. Marsh eventually fell to a 90mph yorker from Sonny Baker, but by then the target had shrunk to a manageable size, and Sunrisers were cruising.
SUGGESTED READ: Sunrisers Leeds Beat Southern Brave by Five Runs in The Hundred
Crawley and Brook Finish in Style
Zak Crawley and Harry Brook walked in with 64 still required off 42 balls, and they wasted no time closing the gap. The pair added 50 runs in just 19 deliveries, batting with intent from the first ball. Brook was especially destructive, striking four of his first nine balls for six, including a lofted drive off Josh Tongue and three sixes in four deliveries against Liam Dawson. Crawley, leading the side for the first time this season, brought up his first half-century in the role along the way.
With the target down to single figures, Brook flicked Gus Atkinson 81 metres over midwicket before launching his sixth six of the innings — the 15th of the Sunrisers reply — to finish the match in emphatic fashion. Crawley ended unbeaten on 56, Brook on 42, and Sunrisers reached 186 for 2 with more than two overs unused.
The result lifts Sunrisers Leeds into contention in the Hundred men’s competition table, while Manchester Super Giants suffer their first defeat of the campaign despite a strong batting effort from Buttler and Klaasen.
For the latest cricket news and updates, follow Jeetwin Sports.
