Manchester Super Giants secure victory despite fie...

By Rohan Gupta — 29 July 2026 — 3 min read

The Manchester Super Giants secured a victory over the Leeds Sunrisers in The Hundred, chasing down 143 runs. The win came despite an uncharacteristic fielding error from Australian player Phoebe Litchfield, which allowed Smriti Mandhana to play a match-winning innings for Manchester.

During the match in Yorkshire, the Super Giants were in a challenging position, with the score at 4-68 at the innings mid-point. India batter Smriti Mandhana, who had scored 30 off 21 balls, was a crucial wicket. When she pulled a ball to Litchfield at mid-wicket, bowler Jess Jonassen anticipated a catch. However, Litchfield, after advancing slightly, dropped the catch.

Mandhana’s impactful innings

Following the dropped catch, Mandhana went on to score 58 off her next 28 balls, ultimately leading Manchester to victory with four balls to spare. She finished with an unbeaten 88 off 50 balls, marking the highest score of the match. Jonassen did manage to dismiss Mady Villiers two balls after the dropped catch, but Mandhana’s performance proved decisive.

Australia‘s Meg Lanning, captain of the Super Giants, was the only other Manchester player to reach double figures, contributing 24 off 18 balls. Lanning herself was dropped earlier in her innings when she was on six runs. She acknowledged that the team, which has now secured two wins with another match washed out, still has areas for improvement.

Lanning commented on Litchfield’s dropped catch, stating that such moments are part of the game and sometimes fielders get lucky, while other times batters are dismissed by exceptional catches. She also noted that the team has gelled well both on and off the field, considering two wins without playing their best cricket as a positive sign.

Sunrisers’ innings and Litchfield’s contribution

The Sunrisers, batting first, lost Jonassen early, who was run out for seven. Litchfield also had an early reprieve when she was dropped at backward point while on one run. Despite this second chance, Litchfield did not capitalise as significantly as Mandhana, scoring 31 off 26 balls before being caught at long-on.

Annabel Sutherland then took over for the Sunrisers, making 35 off 23 balls before miscuing a shot to wide mid-off. She had previously hit Maitlan Brown for 10 runs in the preceding three balls. Lanning began the chase for Manchester with a six and two fours, but was well caught by Sutherland, who ran back to take the catch.

The Sunrisers appeared to be in a strong position when four wickets fell for 14 runs, including Brown being run out for a duck after a poor call by Mandhana. However, Mandhana’s subsequent performance compensated for this error, securing the win for her team.

Mandhana’s move to Manchester Super Giants

The move of Smriti Mandhana to the Manchester Super Giants has garnered significant attention. Mandhana has joined the Super Giants family for the upcoming Women’s Hundred edition, a development that surprised many fans. Despite this move, she continues to be a part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team in the Women’s Premier League.

The announcement of Mandhana joining the Super Giants caused a stir among fans, with some initially believing she had left her WPL team. However, it was clarified that the Lucknow Super Giants do not have a team in women’s cricket, and Mandhana’s participation in The Hundred is a separate engagement. Her inclusion in the Manchester team is seen by some as a significant advantage for the squad.

Female players in India are permitted to participate in other T20 leagues, a rule that differs for male players who can only participate after retirement. The Manchester Super Giants secured a 6-147 victory against the Leeds Sunrisers‘ 4-142.

Source: aapnews.aap.com.au