London, 17 August (H.S.): Manchester Super Giants, formerly known as Manchester Originals, finally ended their wait for silverware at the historic Lord’s ground, clinching their maiden men’s Hundred title at their third attempt. Powered by a blistering 72 from Tim Seifert, the Super Giants defeated table-toppers Trent Rockets by five wickets in the final to lift the trophy for the first time.

The victory also helped Manchester Super Giants erase the disappointment of their previous two final defeats. They had lost to Trent Rockets in the 2022 final and to Oval Invincibles in 2023.

Noor Ahmad Strikes Early for Rockets

Batting first, Trent Rockets made a positive start, with Finn Allen and Ben Duckett putting together a 48-run opening partnership. However, Afghanistan wrist-spinner Noor Ahmad turned the contest in Manchester’s favour by dismissing both openers within four deliveries.

Aneurin Donald immediately took the attack to Noor, smashing 17 runs from the spinner’s first six deliveries. Donald, however, was dismissed after scoring a brisk 38 from 19 balls, leaving the Rockets struggling at 97/5.

Gregory and Santner Steady the Rockets

With Trent Rockets in trouble, Lewis Gregory and Mitchell Santner took charge and rebuilt the innings. Gregory launched a series of sixes against Liam Dawson and Gus Atkinson, helping the Rockets collect 61 runs from the final 30 deliveries.

Their efforts lifted Trent Rockets to a competitive 158/8 from their 100 balls, setting Manchester Super Giants a target of 159.

Chasing 159, Manchester Super Giants were given a flying start by Tim Seifert, who immediately adopted an aggressive approach. He smashed 14 runs from Mohammad Amir’s opening five deliveries and forged a 61-run partnership with Paul Walter from just 31 balls.

Seifert brought up his half-century in only 23 balls before eventually departing for a magnificent 72 off 38 deliveries, including seven sixes. His explosive knock laid the foundation for the successful chase and also earned him the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award. He finished the competition with 394 runs.

Captain Jos Buttler contributed a brisk 23 off 14 balls, while Leus du Plooy remained unbeaten on 27 to keep the Super Giants within touching distance of victory.

Dawson Seals Historic Title with Last-Over Six

After Seifert’s dismissal, Trent Rockets attempted to claw their way back into the contest. Heinrich Klaasen was dismissed after an excellent catch, while Michael Bracewell was removed without scoring from the second ball he faced.

The match went down to the final five deliveries, with Manchester needing only a few runs for victory.

Liam Dawson, however, held his nerve under pressure and struck Ben Sanderson over midwicket for a six to seal the title. The decisive blow took Manchester Super Giants to 162/5 from 98 balls, giving them a five-wicket victory and their first-ever Hundred trophy.

Brief Scores: Trent Rockets 158/8 (Aneurin Donald 38, Lewis Gregory 32; Noor Ahmad 3/33, Sonny Baker 2/34) lost to Manchester Super Giants 162/5 (Tim Seifert 72; Mohammad Amir 3/29, Calvin Harrison 2/30) by five wickets.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar