MI London secured a 45-run victory over Manchester Super Giants in a recent Men’s Hundred tournament match held at The Oval. This win propelled MI London into second place in the men’s Hundred table.
Rashid Khan was a key performer for MI London, claiming a five-for for 17 runs, which was his maiden five-wicket haul in the Hundred competition. His bowling performance was instrumental in bowling out the Manchester Super Giants for 138 runs, with five balls remaining in their chase of 184.
Markram’s fifty not enough
For the Manchester Super Giants, Aiden Markram was the top scorer, hitting 50 runs off 26 balls. This marked his first fifty in the Hundred competition. Despite Markram’s efforts, he was eventually dismissed by Nathan Sowter.
The Super Giants had started their chase strongly, with their openers adding 59 runs in 30 balls. Markram was a significant contributor to this opening stand. However, Rashid Khan’s bowling changed the momentum of the match, as he removed key batsmen like Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler in quick succession.
Heinrich Klaasen contributed 13 runs before being caught behind off Rashid Khan. Leus du Plooy added 22 runs to the Super Giants’ total. Tom Moores and Liam Dawson were also victims of Rashid Khan’s bowling, contributing to the Super Giants’ collapse.
MI London’s strong batting performance
Earlier in the match, MI London posted a total of 183 runs for six wickets at The Oval, which was their highest total of the season. Will Jacks and Nicholas Pooran were central to this strong batting display. Jacks scored 62 runs, while Pooran added 54 runs.
Their partnership helped MI London set a total that was considered above par for the playing surface. The cushion provided by their runs allowed Rashid Khan to bowl aggressively from the start, rather than needing to protect a lower score.
Impact on the league standings
The victory moved MI London to second place in the men’s Hundred table, with 12 points from five matches and a net run rate of 0.399. Welsh Fire also have 12 points but are in third place due to a lower net run rate of -0.222, having played one fewer game.
Trent Rockets currently lead the table with 16 points from five matches. The Manchester Super Giants are in fifth place with eight points from two wins in five matches. They have now lost two of their last three matches, including a defeat to Finn Allen at Old Trafford.
In another match, Trent Rockets secured a five-run victory over Sunrisers Leeds. Ryan Rickelton was out for a duck for Sunrisers Leeds. Aneurin Donald’s 40 and Ben Duckett’s 64 set the foundation for the Trent Rockets, with Mohammad Amir’s 2-20 sealing their win.
Rashid Khan’s performance of five wickets for 17 runs is considered the fifth-best return by a bowler in the history of The Hundred. Among spinners, he is second only to Calvin Harrison, who recorded 5/11 in the 2023 season. Across 27 games in the competition, Rashid has taken 43 wickets at an average of 16.83, with an economy rate of 8.27. His five outings this season have yielded seven wickets with an economy rate of 7.64.
In his career, Rashid Khan is the only bowler with over 700 T20 scalps, having reached 736 wickets in 547 encounters at an average of 18.72 and an economy rate of 6.67. His career tally includes five five-wicket hauls and 19 four-fers. His closest competitor in terms of wickets is Sunil Narine, who has 646 scalps.
Source: sacricketmag.com
