Manchester Super Giants vs MI London Match 18 Full Commentary

Welcome back. We are all set for the chase to commence. Sam Curran has his troops in a huddle for one final word before they take the field. It will be the pairing of Aiden Markram and Tim Seifert to open the innings for Manchester Super Giants. As usual, Trent Boult has the new ball in hand and is raring to go. Seifert will face the first ball. Let's go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

All set for a blockbuster chase - Last time around, MI London posted 164, and London Spirit made light work of the chase. That night, though, the home side were without Sam Curran, and his return significantly strengthens the bowling attack. Manchester Super Giants certainly have the resources to chase this down, and a strong Powerplay would set them up nicely. It is all set for an intriguing second half, so don't go anywhere.

Let's hear from Will Jacks - Jacks says they would have happily taken that score at the start of the innings, but adds that there is still plenty of work to do. He feels it is a good total, though the bowlers will now have to finish the job. Jacks mentions that the ball swung early in the previous game, so he knew it was important to make full use of the Powerplay. He also admits the team let things slip from a strong position at the halfway stage in the last match and says he felt a sense of responsibility for that, making it important to build a stronger platform this time.

The more, the better - That has to be the mindset, given how batting tends to become easier under lights. With that in mind, MI London came out with positive intent in the Powerplay, with Will Jacks doing the bulk of the scoring. He carried that momentum through the middle phase before Nicholas Pooran picked up where Jacks left off. The home side also found valuable contributions from James Vince and Sam Curran. For Manchester Super Giants, Josh Tongue was the standout with the ball. He conceded just 13 runs from his 20 balls and picked up two wickets on a day when the rest of the attack struggled to contain the scoring.

Just 9 runs off the last 10 balls - Not quite the finish MI London were looking for, and although 183 is a good total, these last 10 balls could well prove to be the difference. Manchester Super Giants were under the pump for most of the innings, but they will take a bit of momentum from the way they closed it out.

Rashid Khan makes his way out to bat. Sonny Baker to close out the innings. Can the Super Giants keep MI London under 185?

The new batter is Tom Curran.

We have 10 balls left in the innings, and 200 cannot be ruled out from here. Josh Tongue returns.

Gus Atkinson is back on for his final set. He has gone for 30 runs in his 15 balls so far.

Sherfane Rutherford walks in at number 5.

Closing the curtain - That's all from this entertaining encounter, where MI London emerge victorious with a superb all-round display to strengthen their position, while Manchester Super Giants will need to stop their fall quickly. Earlier in the day, MI London Women endured another disappointing defeat, remaining the only team across both the Men's and Women's competitions yet to register a win this season. Elsewhere, Trent Rockets completed a clean sweep over Sunrisers Leeds, with both their Men's and Women's sides coming away victorious. Next up in The Hundred, it is a clash between Welsh Fire and Southern Brave on Monday, 3rd August. The Women's game begins at 2 pm GMT (7.30 pm IST), followed by the Men's contest at 5.30 pm GMT (11 pm IST). As always, you can join us a little earlier for all the build-up. Until then, cheers and goodbye!

The victorious skipper of MI London - Sam Curran says he is really pleased with the performance and feels the side were 15-20 runs short in their previous game. He credits Will Jacks for getting the innings off to a flying start before adding that he and Nicholas Pooran had the licence to play freely. Curran also feels the left-right combination worked well throughout the innings. Curran says Rashid Khan showed exactly why he is regarded as one of the best in the business. He admits the team will miss Rashid but believes it is also an exciting opportunity for Nathan Sowter to step up and take on the responsibility of leading the spin attack. When asked why he did not bowl, he says his body is still a little sore, so the plan was for him to bat only in this game. He hopes to be fit enough to bowl in the next match.

Rashid spins London to victory - MI London endured a tough start with the ball as Manchester Super Giants came out firing, but Rashid Khan turned the game on its head the moment he entered the attack. He broke the opening stand and never looked back, finishing with a sensational five-wicket haul, his first in the Hundred. Nathan Sowter, who had gone wicketless before this game, claimed the crucial wicket of Aiden Markram, while Richard Gleeson and Trent Boult chipped in with one apiece to complete the collapse. The fact that Sam Curran didn't need to bowl a single ball underlined the depth and quality of MI London's bowling attack.

Batting unit delivers for the hosts - Earlier in the game, MI London posted a formidable total after a 71-run opening stand laid the perfect platform. Will Jacks led the charge with a blistering 62 off 31, while Nicholas Pooran smashed 54 off 28 and Sam Curran added a brisk 23 off 11. However, despite looking set for an even bigger score, MI managed just nine runs and lost three wickets in the final 10 balls. Josh Tongue was the standout bowler for Manchester Super Giants with 2/13, while Noor Ahmad and Liam Dawson claimed a wicket each, though they proved expensive. Gus Atkinson and Sonny Baker also endured an expensive outing, which was not ideal for them.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - No prizes for guessing, as it is Rashid Khan who wins the award for his match-winning bowling spell of 5/17. He says he really needed those wickets after what he describes as a quiet tournament so far. He adds that he kept things simple, focused on hitting the right areas, and was rewarded with the breakthroughs. Believes having the cushion of runs on the board makes a big difference for the bowlers. Mentions that the team always believed that a couple of quick wickets would bring them back into the contest. Rashid insists he has not spent much time thinking about whether batters are playing him differently, instead focusing on making himself a better and more effective bowler every day. Rashid informs that he will fly to Ireland tonight to join Afghanistan for the ODI series and hopes to carry this confidence into international cricket.

Markram's charge ends in defeat - Manchester Super Giants got off to a flying start, with skipper Aiden Markram leading the charge as they raced to 55 in the Powerplay. Tim Seifert couldn't convert his start, but MSG looked firmly in control before the game turned on its head. Jos Buttler's cheap dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse, and although Markram brought up a 25-ball fifty, he fell immediately after. From 74/2, MSG crumbled to 138 all out, with Leus du Plooy's fighting knock offering the only real resistance in an otherwise disappointing finish.

MI bounce back in style - A remarkable turnaround from MI London sees them return to winning ways in style at home, climbing to second in the table with a commanding 45-run victory. The emphatic margin also delivers a significant boost to their net run rate, while Manchester Super Giants slump to a third straight defeat, losing momentum at a crucial stage of the competition.

MI London have been penalised for Slow Over Rate. One extra fielder will be placed inside the circle.

Trent Boult to bowl the penultimate set.

Sonny Baker is the last man in.

Nathan Sowter will bowl out now.

Josh Tongue comes out to the middle.