The 2026 edition of The Hundred came to an end on Sunday (August 16), with the Manchester Super Giants and Trent Rockets clinching the title in the men’s and women’s competitions respectively.
MSG edged past Trent Rockets by five wickets to secure their maiden men's Hundred championship at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground.
In a thrilling contest, the Rockets posted 158/8 in their 100 balls. Top contributions came from Aneurin Donald (38 off 19), Lewis Gregory (32 off 16), and Ben Duckett (31 off 24). Spinner Noor Ahmad starred with the ball for Manchester, taking 3-33.
In reply, MSG reached 162/5 in 98 balls. Opener Tim Seifert spearheaded the chase with a blistering 72 off 38 balls (including 7 sixes), earning both Match Hero and Tournament MVP honours. Despite a late-innings collapse triggered by Mohammad Amir (3-29), veteran all-rounder Liam Dawson hit a dramatic match-winning six off Ben Sanderson with two deliveries to spare.
Following the triumph, MSG owner Sanjiv Goenka posted a heartfelt message on X, shifting attention away from past criticisms of his animated reactions and earning widespread praise from cricket fans.
"Champions in our very first season! @ManchesterSG100. What a night it has been at Lord's, a proud moment for all of us in the Super Giants family. This was a team effort from the first game to the last. Tim, what an innings. Noor, a brilliant spell with the ball and wickets at the times we needed them. Jos has led from the front all season, and the way the whole squad came together through the knockouts is what turned this season around. Congratulations to Jos and to every player who made this happen. And a special thank you to our supporters, you willed this team on all the way. This one is for you," wrote Goenka on X (formerly Twitter).
Team Manchester was previously known as Manchester Originals. Goenka’s RPSG Group acquired a 70% stake and rebranded the franchise to Manchester Super Giants ahead of the 2026 season.
MSG skipper Jos Buttler was quite emotional after the team's title win. "Mixture of emotions, I think. Absolute excitement and euphoria of winning it. A little bit of relief after the last few balls there. But a fantastic effort from everyone. I think Tim mentioned to win five games in a row to be in this position to lift the trophy. I think we deserve it," said Buttler after the final.
