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Sikandar Raza hit four sixes in 16 balls to transform a tight chase as MI London beat London Spirit by four wickets at Lord’s in Match 23 of The Hundred Men’s 2026. Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ 52 off 28 balls and Will Jacks’ stunning boundary catch were the innings highlights, while London Spirit became the first side officially eliminated from the 2026 competition.
London, England: There was a moment, midway through the chase, when the Lord’s floodlights felt a little dimmer and the contest felt a little tighter than anyone inside the ground was comfortable with. MI London — chasing 161, three wickets down, Sam Curran dismissed, the asking rate rising — needed someone to change the texture of the match quickly. Sikandar Raza, who has been changing the texture of matches in this format for a decade, obliged without ceremony. Four sixes in 16 balls. The match was done.
Spirit’s Innings: Pretorius Blazes, Jacks Catches
London Spirit’s 160 for 5 was built on the shoulders of Pretorius at the top, Willey in the middle and Coles at the end. Pretorius — opening in place of the rested Jonny Bairstow — reached his fifty from 28 balls with five fours and three sixes, the most aggressive powerplay innings seen at Lord’s in this edition of the competition. He gave a clear chance on 37 when Livingstone went for a reverse sweep and the review confirmed only umpire’s call — a millimetre of luck at a decisive moment. He eventually finished with 52 before Jacks’ boundary catch ended his innings.
At the strategic timeout, Spirit were 96 for 3 and Dewald Brevis was scratching. Willey steadied, surviving his own DRS review and making a composed 31 before falling, while Coles played an anchoring 30 not out from 23 balls — picking the gaps patiently and absorbing pressure — before Jamie Overton crashed an unbeaten 13 from six balls at the death to take Spirit past 160.
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Pretorius was eventually dismissed in spectacular fashion. Nathan Sowter floated one outside off and Pretorius went for the lofted drive to long-off, where Jacks was stationed on the boundary rope. He leapt to take the catch, felt his momentum carrying him towards the rope, threw the ball up as his feet crossed the line, re-entered the field of play and completed the take. The replays confirmed every element of the dismissal — clean, legal, outrageous. The clip was already going viral before the over was finished.
Trent Boult took two wickets in his allocation. Nathan Sowter’s two wickets, including Pretorius, were the decisive contributions.
The Chase: Collapse, Then Raza
MI London sent Vince and Jacks out to open — the partnership that had done such damage in previous Hundred matches at The Oval — and the Lord’s surface played true from the first ball. Jacks launched Matt Fisher’s first delivery for six before Fisher had his revenge next ball, Jacks caught skying to Adam Milne for 18. Vince then faced Mason Crane — making his first appearance of the competition in place of the out-of-form Adam Zampa — and was bowled by his first ball, the leg-spin finding the gap between bat and pad. Pooran, playing his first game at Lord’s, and Curran rebuilt briefly before Willey — diving and releasing the ball mid-air while horizontal — completed the most acrobatic run-out of the competition to remove Pooran.
Three wickets in short succession. The match was alive. Curran fell. Then Raza arrived.
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He was not playing an innings of subtlety. A flat six over long-off. A towering six into the Mound Stand. A third and a fourth clearing the longest boundary at Lord’s with something to spare. Thirty-two runs from 16 balls, the equation transformed, Raza’s characteristic grin visible from the stands.
Pope completed the formality — steering the winning runs with six balls to spare — and MI London had chased down 161 to record the highest successful chase in The Hundred at Lord’s. They move to second in the table. London Spirit, meanwhile, become the first men’s team officially eliminated from the race for the Eliminator.
Raza, playing his first Hundred game of the 2026 season having arrived from Sri Lanka just four days earlier, was characteristically relaxed about what he had done. “Four days ago I was in Sri Lanka and I’m not really sure what day or date it is but it’s nice to be part of the Hundred and have a debut like that,” he said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better start — really I just closed my eyes and swung as hard as I could.”
Scores: London Spirit 160/5 (100 balls) — Lhuan-dre Pretorius 52 (28), DJ Willey 31 (18), James Coles 30* (23); Trent Boult 2-35, Nathan Sowter 2-29
MI London Men 164/6 (94 balls) — Sikandar Raza 32 (16, 4×6), Nicholas Pooran 39 (25), Sam Curran 33 (23); Overton 2/23
Result: MI London Men won by 4 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)
Player of the Match: Sikandar Raza (MI London Men) — 32 (16)
Note: London Spirit Men are officially eliminated from The Hundred Men’s 2026. MI London move to second in the table.
The Hundred Men’s standings (after Match 23):
- Trent Rockets (5 wins in 6 matches, 20 points)
- MI London (4 wins in 6, 16 points, NRR: +0.448)
- Welsh Fire (4 wins in 6, 16 points, NRR: -0.537)
London Spirit (eliminated- 1 win in 6 matches, 4 points)
