SunRisers Leeds produced a slick all-round performance to open the 2026 edition of The Hundred with a statement win over MI London at the Kia Oval.
MATCH DETAILS
MI London (Women) vs Sunrisers Leeds (Women), Match 1, The Hundred Womens
MI London (Women) 107/8 (100 balls)
Sunrisers Leeds (Women) 109/3 (69 balls)
Sunrisers Leeds (Women) won by 7 wickets
SCORECARD
Phoebe Litchfield, the tournament’s leading run-scorer in 2025, starred with a breezy 43 as SunRisers, who won last year’s competition in their previous guise as Northern Superchargers, eased to a seven-wicket win with 31 balls to spare.
After restricting their hosts to a below-par 107-8, there was a brief early wobble as Alexa Stonehouse removed Bryony Smith up top and Jess Jonassen was run-out after a poorly judged call from Litchfield. But the Aussie opener made up for her mistake with a classy knock that broke the back of the chase.
When Litchfield was bowled by Kirstie Gordon, it was left to her compatriot Annabel Sutherland to confirm the victory, finishing unbeaten on 30 from 23 balls and leaving her captain Dani Gibson to hit the winning boundary.
The hosts had begun the match brightly after being put into bat. Hayley Matthews and Danni Wyatt-Hodge were fast out of the traps, sharing an eye-catching opening stand of 56 in 37 deliveries before Deepti Sharma (2-20) broke the partnership with a stunning caught-and-bowled, sending Matthews on her way for 33 (22).
The momentum of the innings immediately stalled as Gibson juggled her plentiful bowling options impressively. Melie Kerry mistimed a stroke to Kate Cross at mid-off to give Hannah Baker her first wicket before Sharma made another crucial intervention, claiming the key scalp of Wyatt-Hodge (29 off 20) courtesy of a brilliant diving catch from Cross.
From 77-3 after 58 balls, MI London crawled to 107-8 from their full allocation with no other batter able to reach double figures. SunRisers turned the screw with some disciplined bowling and electric fielding, Sutherland conceding just 14 from her 20 deliveries while Gibson (2-17) and Baker (2-16) bagged two wickets apiece as the reigning champions began their campaign in style.
Litchfield, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It’s been really nice to get out here as a group. The bowlers bowled really well, restricting them. There were some really cool signs.
“The lengths we bowled early challenged them on the front foot. There was a bit of pop in it. We adapted, changed the pace, and our spinners held their line and length bravely.
“It was a silly run out [of Jonassen] but you know when the target is less than 120, then you’re in the game. We wanted to go out there positively and take the game on and you saw that.”
Manhattan
© Cricket World 2026
