Tim Seifert’s 72 powers Manchester to maiden Hundred title

LONDON: New Zealand batter Tim Seifert produced a sensational display of power hitting as Manchester Super Giants chased down 159 against Trent Rockets to win their maiden men’s Hundred title by five wickets at Lord’s on Sunday.

Seifert’s explosive 72 off just 38 balls transformed the chase and put Manchester in control before Liam Dawson held his nerve during a dramatic final over to complete a memorable victory.

The Super Giants appeared to be cruising before the Rockets launched a late fightback. With Manchester needing only three runs from the final nine balls, Mohammad Amir struck twice in successive deliveries, removing Heinrich Klaasen and Michael Bracewell.

Ben Sanderson then delivered two consecutive dot balls, leaving Manchester needing three runs from three deliveries.

Dawson responded in emphatic fashion. The experienced batter launched the next delivery over the mid-wicket boundary for six, sealing victory with two balls still remaining and sparking celebrations among the Manchester camp.

Earlier, Seifert had almost single-handedly shifted the momentum of the final. The right-hander attacked the Rockets’ bowling from the outset, smashing seven sixes and four fours in a breathtaking innings.

The Rockets briefly thought they had removed the danger man when Seifert was on 33. Finn Allen produced a spectacular effort near the boundary, but the catch was ruled out after Allen’s foot touched the rope before he completed the attempt.

Seifert continued his assault and eventually equalled Will Jacks’ record for the highest individual score in a men’s Hundred final.

His performance capped an outstanding tournament. Seifert finished as the competition’s second-highest run-scorer, behind Australia’s Mitchell Marsh, accumulating 394 runs at an average just below 50.

For Manchester Super Giants, the triumph ended years of frustration. The Old Trafford-based franchise, previously known as Manchester Originals, had reached two men’s finals before Sunday but failed to lift the trophy, including a defeat by Trent Rockets in 2022.

The Rockets, meanwhile, were left to rue a missed opportunity after topping the men’s table and earning a direct place in the final.

They had also hoped to make history by becoming the first franchise to win both the men’s and women’s Hundred titles in the same season.

Instead, it was Manchester’s night at Lord’s, with Seifert’s extraordinary hitting and Dawson’s cool finish delivering the franchise its long-awaited first men’s Hundred crown.