The battle for the top two spots in the 2026 Men’s Hundred playoff race intensified after a thrilling double-header, with Trent Rockets securing their position at the summit after a stunning run-chase and Manchester Super Giants holding their nerve in a low-scoring thriller to finish second.
The Hundred Match 25: David and Santner Anchor Rockets’ Chase Against MI London
At Lord’s, table-toppers Trent Rockets once again demonstrated why they are the team to beat this season, overcoming a close contest against MI London to register their sixth consecutive win of the campaign.
Chasing down a score of 222, Trent Rockets lost opener Will Jacks (39 off 26 balls) to successive early wickets as MI London looked set to pull off a shocker. However, skipper Sam Curran stood tall and hit a captain’s knock of 72 off 46 balls with four fours and five sixes to steer his men to a competitive total of 147-7.
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A blown six by Ollie Pope saw the hosts slump to 131-6 before a brisk 16-run stand with Sikandar Raza saw the score climb to 147. Lewis Gregory was the pick of the bowlers for the Rockets as he accounted for two wickets in the innings while bowling 15 dot balls.
MI London vs Trent Rockets: Key Performances
| Player | Team | Performance |
| Sam Curran | MI London |
72 runs (46 balls), 4 fours, 5 sixes
|
| Will Jacks | MI London |
39 runs (26 balls)
|
| Tim David & Mitchell Santner | Trent Rockets |
78* run partnership for the 5th wicket
|
| Lewis Gregory | Trent Rockets |
2 wickets for 32 runs off 15 balls
|
| Richard Gleeson | MI London | 2 wickets |
The Rockets’ chase got off to a shaky start as the required run rate (RRR) stood at 5.28 after the first over. Contributions from Duckett (27) and Donald (23 off 10) helped Trott steady the innings before the asking rate was slashed to 4.59. The introduction of Richard Gleeson saw Trent Rockets slip from 70-1 to 70-4 with two golden ducks on the board.
A composed 78-run stand between Tim David and Mitchell Santner saw the required run rate continue to fall. The pair accelerated in tandem before hitting some superb boundaries, as well as using the gaps on the leg side to excellent effect. Their clever running between the wickets ultimately proved to be the difference as the leaders crossed the finish line with the bat in hand.
The Hundred Match 26: Super Giants Defend 149 After Stifling Brave Ascent
Southampton: Manchester Super Giants defended 149 to record a 10-run win over Southern Brave after a thrilling Super League encounter on Sunday. The Super Giants posted a strong start on the back of an emphatic opening stand between Tim Seifert and Paul Walter, but a stunning spell of leg-spin from Adil Rashid saw the Brave restrict the hosts to 149-8.
Seifert (55 off 34) and Walter (64 off 32) both looked in devastating touch with the bat as the opening stand reached 119. However, Rashid had other ideas as the spinner triggered a remarkable collapse after the fall of the first wicket.
The leg-spinner reaped the rewards of a clinical display of containment bowling with a stunning 2-17 from his 20 deliveries. His intervention prompted a spectacular scare for the Super Giants as they went from 119-0 to 125-5 before the Brave posted a competitive total of 149-8 with the help of Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, Chris Jordan and Nikhil Chaudhary.
In reply, Southern Brave were anchored by an unorthodox but effective innings from Tristan Stubbs, who scored an unbeaten 53 from 38 balls, including one four and three sixes. Stoinis (21 from 12) and Nikhil Chaudhary (19 from 10) added swift cameos before Manchester’s bowlers drew inspiration from their skipper’s leadership to derail the Brave charge.
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Gus Atkinson and Liam Dawson both took two wickets, snuffing out any signs of a Brave recovery. Stubbs was ultimately denied a well-deserved opportunity to accelerate as he failed to capitalise on the stand-in keeper’s late powerplay, with the Brave ultimately scoring 139-6 and sliding down the table.
Trent Rockets have secured their position in the top two for the first time this season, with the early pace of their 6-1 record seeing them clear top spot on 24 points and a healthy +0.890 Net Run Rate.
Sunrisers Leeds, Manchester Super Giants, MI London and Welsh Fire have all made their way into contention for the remaining two playoff places, with a four-way tie on 16 points meaning the next few games will be crucial for these teams. Southern Brave (8 points), London Spirit (4 points) and Birmingham Phoenix (4 points) all have work to do in the final round of fixtures.
The Hundred playoffs
Trent Rockets
Manchester Super Giants
Trent Rockets vs MI London
Manchester Super Giants vs Southern Brave
The Hundred table
The Hundred standings
The Hundred playoff picture
The Hundred top four
Trent Rockets sixth win
Manchester Super Giants