Men's Hundred 2026, MSG-M vs TR-M 14th Match Match Report, July 31, 2026

Trent Rockets came out victorious in a top-of-the-table clash against Manchester Super Giants at Emirates Old Trafford after a masterful unbeaten knock of 72 from 35 balls from Kiwi star Finn Allen saw them chase down a target of 138 with 13 balls to spare.

Ben Duckett fell second ball of Rockets’ chase, castled by England team-mate Gus Atkinson after a failed attempt at a scoop. Tom Banton was then dismissed by Sonny Baker to put the pressure on Allen and new man Sam Billings.

Unfazed, Billings and Allen got into their work, targeting both spin and seam, and reached a 50 partnership from 25 balls. Allen had a life off Liam Dawson on 32 – an incredibly difficult caught-and-bowled – and went on to reach a 50 from 23 balls.

Billings had fallen to Atkinson and Tim David to Baker, but Mitchell Santner (24 not out from 17) joined Allen and together they eased Rockets to a six-wicket win and top spot outright.

Hosts Manchester Super Giants had earlier reached 38 for 0 at the end of the powerplay, only for Craig Overton to strike three times to rattle the home side. He removed both openers, Tim Seifert caught at mid-off and Aiden Markram at mid-on, before having Heinrich Klaasen pouched on the square-leg boundary for a two-ball duck.

The surface proved a tough one to accelerate on as Jos Buttler and Leus du Plooy found the spin of Santner and the changes of pace and length of Lewis Gregory difficult to get after. The shackles were broken when du Plooy cleared the ropes off the final delivery of Matt Henry’s quota. He then hit a maximum off Mohammad Amir to move the score onto 115 for 3 with 10 balls remaining.

Super Giants ended strongly. Buttler hit two fours and a six off Gregory in the final five balls to bring up his third consecutive half-century and finish 55 not out as the home side closed on 137 for 3 – but the explosive Allen was to make light work of it to take the Rockets to victory.

Allen, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It was tough at the start, they bowled well and challenged us, they have a pretty impressive bowling line-up. I wanted to try and have a good foundation to start off with and absorb pressure where I could.”

On returning to The Hundred, he added: “The first game was definitely a shock to the system, it goes pretty quickly. But I guess it’s like looking at it like every other game and having the same processes.”

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