THE HUNDRED – MEN’S COMPETITION 2025
Buttler and Klaasen combined to add an unbeaten 69 off just 36 deliveries © Getty
Manchester Originals put up a solid 171 for 3 at Old Trafford, built around Jos Buttler’s well-paced half-century and Heinrich Klaasen’s timely return to form, before their bowlers backed it up with a collective show to seal a much-needed victory. The 57-run win against Northern Superchargers was only their second in five games this season, keeping their campaign afloat.
After opting to bat, the Originals lost Phil Salt early to Matthew Potts and soon saw Ben McKinney trapped lbw by Mitchell Santner. At 40 for 2, they needed stability and momentum, which came first through Rachin Ravindra’s lively cameo and later through Buttler’s class. Ravindra smashed 31 off just 14 deliveries, hitting six fours, before falling to Potts. His burst ensured the scoring rate never dipped despite the wickets, allowing Buttler time to build his innings. Although he hit two sixes at the start of his innings, the skipper was cautious before shifting gears seamlessly as he struck five boundaries and four sixes in his 64 off 45.
The real difference at the backend, however, was made by Klaasen. Coming into the game with a prolonged lean run – he hadn’t crossed fifty in his last 15 T20 innings since the IPL – Klaasen finally broke the shackles. His unbeaten 50 off 25 balls featured four sixes and as many fours. He also faced nine of the last 10 balls in the innings, getting 30 runs. Buttler and Klaasen combined to add an unbeaten 69 off just 36 deliveries, ensuring the Originals finished strongly as they got 91 in the second half of their innings. For the Superchargers, Potts stood out with figures of 2 for 39.
Zak Crawley gave the chase an enterprising start, striking two fours off Sonny Baker and a six off Josh Tongue, but his departure soon after triggered a slide. Having bagged the first wicket, Tongue followed it up by dismissing Michael Pepper, while Harry Brook’s brief cameo of two boundaries was cut short by Rachin Ravindra. Noor Ahmad then struck with his very first delivery to dismiss Dan Lawrence, leaving the Superchargers reeling at 42 for 4.
Dawid Malan and David Miller attempted to steady the innings, but Baker returned to bowl Malan for 19, deepening the crisis. A 30-run stand between Miller and Mitchell Santner offered temporary resistance, only for the Originals’ bowlers to hit back once more. Tongue, Ravindra and Noor all chipped in with timely strikes before Baker closed out the innings with the last two wickets, bagging a hat-trick in the process, to seal a comprehensive win for the home side.
Brief scores: Manchester Originals 171/3 in 100 balls (Jos Buttler 64*, Heinrich Klaasen 50*; Matthew Potts 2-39) beat Northern Superchargers 114 in 87 balls (David Miller 38; Josh Tongue 3-21, Sonny Baker 3-21, Rachin Ravindra 2-17) by 57 runs.
© Cricbuzz
