Manchester Super Giants (MSG) were crowned champions of The Hundred Men’s 2026 after defeating Trent Rockets (TRT) by five wickets in the final at Lord’s. Trent Rockets posted 158/8 after being asked to bat first, but Manchester Super Giants held their nerve in the chase to reach 162/5 with two balls remaining and lift their maiden Hundred trophy.
The victory completed a remarkable turnaround for Manchester Super Giants, who had been on the verge of elimination after losing three consecutive group matches. They responded with five straight victories to storm to the title, with Jos Buttler taking over the captaincy after Aiden Markram returned home for personal reasons.
Tim Seifert powers Manchester Super Giants to memorable title
Manchester Super Giants’ chase got off to an explosive start as Tim Seifert and Paul Walter immediately put the Trent Rockets bowlers under pressure. The opening pair added 66 runs from just 31 balls, giving Manchester Super Giants a strong platform in the chase. Walter continued his impressive run since being brought into the side, scoring a quickfire 22 off 14 deliveries. His contribution took his tournament tally to 247 runs from five innings at a strike rate of 179.
Seifert, meanwhile, continued his extraordinary run of form. The New Zealand batter smashed seven sixes during his 38-ball 72 and became the central figure in Manchester’s successful chase. He reached his half-century in emphatic fashion and continued attacking despite losing Buttler, who was dismissed for 12 after attempting to clear long-off.
Leus du Plooy provided support after Buttler’s departure, allowing Seifert to keep Manchester ahead of the required rate. The Rockets briefly fought back when Seifert eventually fell to Mohammad Amir while attempting to reach a wide yorker, but the Super Giants needed only 23 runs from 22 balls at that stage.
Heinrich Klaasen was dismissed by Amir before Michael Bracewell was trapped lbw, leaving Manchester needing just a handful of runs. Liam Dawson then held his nerve, eventually hitting the winning runs as Manchester Super Giants reached 162/5 with two balls remaining. Seifert finished with 72 off 38 balls and was the joint-highest scorer in a Hundred final, capping a superb tournament with another match-winning performance.
Noor Ahmad’s spell puts Trent Rockets under pressure
Earlier, Trent Rockets made a steady start after being asked to bat first, reaching 33 without loss during the opening phase. Ben Duckett and Finn Allen looked to build a solid platform, but Manchester Super Giants found their breakthrough soon after the introduction of Noor Ahmad. Aneurin Donald attempted to counterattack, taking on Noor with aggressive strokes and producing a rapid 38 from 19 balls. However, his dismissal triggered another collapse as Trent Rockets lost five wickets for 47 runs during a crucial 32-ball period.
Tim David also departed after edging a googly to Jos Buttler, while Sam Billings was run out following a mix-up with Donald. Noor eventually finished with three wickets for 33 runs, producing his best performance of the tournament at the biggest stage. The Rockets were rescued by Lewis Gregory, who combined with Mitchell Santner to rebuild the innings. Gregory, who had previously played for Manchester when the franchise was still known as Manchester Originals, scored 32 from 16 balls before falling to a slower delivery from Josh Tongue.
Santner and Craig Overton added some late boundaries, while Sonny Baker struck twice with the final two deliveries of the innings. Trent Rockets eventually finished on 158/8, setting Manchester Super Giants a target of 159. However, Seifert’s explosive innings ensured that the target proved just short as Manchester Super Giants completed their successful chase and lifted the The Hundred Men’s 2026 trophy.
