[August 11, 2025 – Manchester] – A blistering 71 from David Warner wasn’t enough to keep London Spirit in contention as the Manchester Originals tightened their grip on the match, closing in on a commanding victory at Old Trafford in the latest fixture of The Hundred.
Warner looked in sublime touch early on, striking nine boundaries and two towering sixes in his 45-ball innings. The veteran Australian opener anchored Spirit’s chase with characteristic aggression, reaching his half-century in just 31 balls. However, his dismissal – caught at deep midwicket off the bowling of Tom Hartley – triggered a collapse that saw Spirit lose momentum at a crucial juncture.
Turning Point
At 102 for 2, Spirit seemed well placed to chase down the Originals’ competitive total of 164. But Warner’s exit in the 75th ball marked a turning point. Originals’ bowlers, led by Hartley and Usama Mir, applied the brakes with a flurry of tight deliveries and timely wickets.
Hartley finished with impressive figures of 2 for 21 from his 20 balls, while Mir chipped in with 1 for 18, choking the run flow in the death overs
Originals on the Front Foot
Buttler, mixing caution with aggression, laid the foundation before Evans and Paul Walter added 45 runs in the final 20 balls to give the hosts a strong finish.
The Originals’ innings was marked by intelligent rotation of strike and some late-innings fireworks, with the Spirit bowlers struggling to contain the scoring rate.
What’s Next?
The victory pushes Manchester Originals into the top three of the men’s standings, boosting their hopes of qualifying for the eliminators. London Spirit, meanwhile, remain mid-table and will need to bounce back quickly with just a few group games left.
Warner’s knock – his best of the season – will be a small consolation for Spirit fans, but the team will be ruing the lack of support from the middle
Final Score:
Manchester Originals – 164/5 (100 balls)
London Spirit – 139/7 (100 balls)
Result: Originals won by 25 runs
Player of the Match: Jos Buttler (Manchester Originals)
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