SunRisers Leeds defeat MI London by seven wickets

The 2026 season of The Hundred began on Tuesday, July 21, with a dominant performance from SunRisers Leeds, who secured a seven-wicket victory over MI London in the women's tournament opener at The Kia Oval in London. The match marked the debut for both franchises under new identities following significant overseas investment and a player auction earlier this year.

Batting first, MI London posted a total of 107 runs for the loss of eight wickets in their allotted 100 deliveries. The innings started steadily with an opening partnership of 57 runs between Hayley Matthews, who scored 33, and Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who contributed 29. However, the SunRisers bowling attack, led by captain Dani Gibson, Hannah Baker, and Deepti Sharma, each taking two wickets, stifled the scoring in the middle overs. From a position of 72 for one after 55 balls, MI London collapsed, with six batters registering single-digit scores.

In response, SunRisers Leeds chased down the target with 31 balls to spare, finishing on 108 for three. Australian opener Phoebe Litchfield anchored the innings with a brisk 43 runs from 26 deliveries, earning player of the match honors. Fellow Australian Annabel Sutherland...