Sunrisers Leeds vs Manchester Super Giants Eliminator Full Commentary

We are back for the all-important run chase. The umpires are back out in the middle, and the players of Manchester Super Giants spread out on the field. It will be the Aussie-Protea duo of Mitchell Marsh and Ryan Rickelton to open the innings for Sunrisers Leeds. Gus Atkinson will start proceedings with the ball. Let's go...

... The Run Chase ...

Fire vs Fire - The bowlers of Sunrisers Leeds have been hit for plenty, but they are still in the game. They started well in the Powerplay and Brydon Carse gave them an early breakthrough as well. Nathan Ellis bowled well in patches, but the likes of Thomas Lawes and Matthew Revis were taken to the cleaners. The lone spinner Liam Patterson-White was used sparingly as well. Righto, 187 needed for the win and it seems like a tough ask. However, the Sunrisers are one of the most entertaining and aggressive batting sides in the competition and if a couple of their top 4 batters have a day out, this target could feel not that big. Stay tuned for the crucial run chase.

Glad to be back amongst the runs - One of the heroes of the Manchester batting innings, HEINRICH KLAASEN, comes up for a chat with Nasser Hussain. Admits that he is pleased to have at least got some runs on the board and is glad to be back amongst the runs. On his belief through poor form, Klaasen says that you do know as a batter that runs are around the corner but you also need to spend some time in the middle to make that happen. Adds that he was having a decent hit in the nets but having a batting partner like Paul Walter helped him regain his touch. Nasser now stresses on Tall Paul, to which, Heinrich says that he is very pleased for the guy. Explains that Walter was warming the bench but the moment he got into the playing XI, he changed the equation for the Super Giants. On the conditions, HK says that the pitch looks skiddy. Ends by saying that if the bowlers hit the right lengths, the chase might be tricky.

Paul stands tall - Paul Walter, or rather Tall Paul as they call him, has been the standout with the bat. After a sluggish start, which included the dismissal of Tim Seifert, the Super Giants roared back thanks to a budding stand between Walter and Jos Buttler. Once Buttler got out, Walter did take more charge and soon enough, Heinrich Klaasen was in six-hitting mode. The Walter-Klaasen duo added 114 runs off just 52 balls and MSG were destined to cross the 200-run mark. However, they lost all the momentum at the end and finished with 186, as Walter top-scored with 80 (46).

Runs on the board - The norm might have started to change over the last few years, but runs, especially big runs on the board in a knockout game, are always helpful. The Super Giants have piled on 186 big runs, and still, they will feel that they have left 10-15 runs out there. Sunrisers Leeds will head into the break wrestling back some crucial momentum in the last 15 or so deliveries.

Final set of the innings. The Super Giants need 18 runs to touch the 200-mark. Matthew Potts will bowl out. 1/34 in 15 balls so far.

The OVER-RATE PENALTY has been imposed on the Sunrisers. 4 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle for the last 7 balls.

So Nathan Ellis finishes with bowling figures of 1/28 in 20 balls. Decent effort. Matthew Revis is back on. 0/28 in 10 balls so far.

Michael Bracewell walks in next, at number 5, replacing Klaasen.

Nathan Ellis returns. 0/23 in 15 balls so far.

Rematch of the 2022 final! Wow. What a clash we have on Sunday. Two of the best sides arguably meet in the summit clash - Trent Rockets and Manchester Super Giants. These two had met each other in the 2022 final, where the Rockets just about scraped home with 2 wickets and 2 balls to spare, chasing 121. The Super Giants will be itching for a payback. But this time, the 2022 winners and last year's runnersup, the Rockets, are looking stronger than ever. So will history be repeated in a second title for the Rockets or will history be created in a first title for Manchester? The final is set to be played on Sunday, 16th August, 2026, where Lord's will host both finals. At 1.15 pm GMT, Trent Rockets Women take on Sunrisers Leeds Women while from 5 pm GMT, the Men take over for their final clash. So sort out your chores and prepare the schedule. Sunday is the day, where possibly two blockbusters await! But do tune in early as our buildup will begin in advance. ADIOS! TAKE CARE!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - The award goes to Manchester Super Giants' JOSH TONGUE, for his breathtaking bowling spell of 4/26 in 20 balls. The first question asked to him is about his missed run out of Ryan Rickelton, to which Tongue jokes about his attempted football-style run-out, saying his foot is a bit sore now. Feels that the way Paul Walter and Klaasen played was amazing to see, and they had a good Powerplay with the ball as well. Further mentions that the pitch was a good one and they tried to just hit the top of the stumps. On the Final, Tongue says that it is now all about resetting and then preparing for the summit clash.

Paul stands tall again - Not that Paul Walter needs to get any more taller. But he has taken to this tournament like a fish does to water. He has played 4 matches this season which read - 37 (18) vs Welsh Fire. 64 (32) vs Southern Brave. 44 not out (28) vs Sunrisers Leeds. And 80 (46) in this clash. That sums up to 225 runs at a strike rate of 181.45 and an average of 75! Without a doubt, he has been the reason for Manchester's fortunes swinging around and even in this match, he proved to be the difference. His blistering 80 (46) studded with 3 fours and 8 sixes never let Sunrisers breathe easy. Tall Paul got good support from skipper Jos Buttler and later, Heinrich Klaasen, with himself and Klaasen adding 114 runs for the third wicket. The Sunrisers were left shell shocked, because they had started well, removing Tim Seifert on the very second ball and reduced the Super Giants to 30/1 in the Powerplay. But the next 75 balls were ransacked for 156 runs for the income of 3 wickets. Ouch.

The review conundrum - Majority of the T20 Leagues across the globe have two unsuccessful reviews per innings per side. The Hundred though, has just one. In such a scenario, it becomes extremely important to utilize that review well and not throw it away. Zak Crawley did that mistake here. Having been adjudged plumb in front of the wickets against Josh Tongue, he chose to take the review and exhausted it. As fate would have it, Harry Brook was adjudged LBW on 49, with Ball Tracking later showing the impact to be outside off. At that stage, Sunrisers Leeds were just getting some momentum, needing 89 runs from 45 balls before that dismissal, with Brook and Rickelton engaged in a fluent 81-run stand. Looking at the end result, with Leeds falling just 20 short, one just can't help but get the feeling that the review might have cost Leeds a place at Lord's.

Suffocation - 4 days ago, the Sunrisers struggled to pick even a single wicket of the Super Giants. Come the Eliminator, they struggled to handle the pace and spin of their opposition. The pitch was a batting beauty, but the batters could not apply themselves. Harry Brook played a blinder, smashing 49 (31) while Ryan Rickelton, eventually finishing unbeaten on 54, was strangely left off strike with wickets falling around him. By the time he did get into rhythm, the match was almost done and dusted. Just 2 batters touched 40 on a deck which did not have anything supportive for the bowlers.

Good at the start and at the end - In defense of a big score, you normally need early wickets. Manchester got that, through Josh Tongue as he removed Mitchell Marsh and Zak Crawley in the span of 4 balls. After that, the Sunrisers fought back through Harry Brook but once he fell, the others could not quite match up to the required rate. Wickets just kept falling at regular intervals and Leeds simply did not find any breathing space. Tongue narrowly missed out on taking a 5-wicket haul, as he finished with bowling figures of 4/26 - THE FIRST EVER TO TAKE A 4-WICKET HAUL IN THE ELIMINATOR OF THE MEN'S HUNDRED. But the pressure created by him was sustained equally well by the others with Liam Dawson showcasing the depth by coming to bowl his first set in the 19th, and still doing extremely well.

Brilliant all-round performance - In the span of 4 days, Manchester Super Giants have got the better of Sunrisers Leeds twice. While the previous meeting was a 10-wicket drubbing, this was another complete team performance, with the batters setting up a big total and the bowlers defending it comfortably. This is the third entry of the Super Giants into the final, having reached here in 2022 and 2023, but falling short on both occasions. Will the third time prove to be lucky?

Dawson will continue and finish off.

Thomas Lawes walks out next, at number 9, replacing Carse.

OVERRATE PENALTY has been imposed on the Super Giants. 4 fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle for the rest of the match.

Smart from Jos Buttler as Manchester Super Giants call for their STRATEGIC TIMEOUT. Ryan Rickelton looks a bit puzzled as usually one does not take the timeout towards the end of the innings. But Buttler is well within his rights to do so. Rickelton argues with the umpire, as he was just kind of getting into some rhythm. With 34 runs needed from 10 balls, it looks a long shot for the Sunrisers, but if Rickelton can get going, you never know. Buttler has a chat with his management and he has turned to Liam Dawson to bowl the 19th set. For the first time in this innings.

Sonny Baker will bowl out now. 2/28 in 15 balls so far.