Sunrisers Leeds made history with the highest total ever scored in the men’s Hundred competition. The innings came against London Spirit at Headingley, where the team posted 241-2 from just 100 balls. Australia’s T20 captain, Mitch Marsh, led the charge with a blistering 76 off 37 balls. Marsh hit seven sixes during his innings, setting the tone for a brutal assault on the bowling attack. His performance helped Sunrisers break the record for the highest team total in the competition’s six-year history.
Marsh and his teammate Ryan Rickelton opened the batting with a partnership of 148 runs in just 65 balls. This partnership also set a new record for the highest opening stand in any wicket of the tournament.
Marsh said he tried to stay relaxed during the match and focused on building partnerships. He added that he enjoys playing at Headingley, where he also scored a century in the Ashes in 2023.
After Marsh was dismissed, South African Ryan Rickelton continued the assault with an unbeaten 94 off 42 balls. Local hero Harry Brook also contributed with a quick 55 off just 18 deliveries.
Brook was praised for his aggressive strokeplay and said the match was a lot of fun. He said that Marsh and Rickelton’s start was incredible, and the team had to take advantage of the good pitch.
The leg-spinner Adam Zampa found himself under heavy pressure during the innings. Zampa’s first set of five balls to Marsh cost him 25 runs, including four sixes and a wide. His second set came immediately after Marsh’s dismissal, with the batsman caught at deep cover.
Veteran seamer Andrew Tye conceded 42 runs from his 20 deliveries.
The match saw the team score 200 runs in just 85 balls, which was the eighth time that score had been reached in the tournament’s history. Rickelton’s innings of 94 was the second highest score in this year’s tournament. The team also set a record for the most sixes in a single innings with 21, surpassing previous totals. All four batters scored at a strike rate above 200 during the innings.
London Spirit responded with their own strong effort, scoring 204-6 in reply. They lost Jonny Bairstow early on the first ball, and the innings struggled to gain momentum. Dewald Brevis scored 38 off 21 balls, and David Willey added an unbeaten 83 off 46 balls. Despite their efforts, Spirit were still 37 runs short of the total set by Sunrisers.
The victory moved Sunrisers up to fourth place in the standings, level with MI London. Marsh became the top run-scorer of the 2026 tournament with his performance. He now has 23 sixes, nine more than Jos Buttler who is in second place. Harry Brook also reached a fifty in just 15 balls, matching the fastest fifty in the tournament’s history.
The match also saw a record total of 445 runs across both innings, with Spirit scoring 204 and Sunrisers 241. The pitch was described as very good for batting, with the ball spinning and swinging.
This match showed that both teams were capable of high-scoring performances. Ryan Rickelton said the wicket was good, and both teams had to take advantage of it. He added that players needed to stay ahead of the ball’s movement and play aggressively.
IMAGE: Shaun Marsh and Mitchell Marsh during The Ashes – 5th test – 3rd Day, 2018-01-06. Photo: www.davidmolloyphotography.com / Wikimedia, taken 2018-01-06, CC BY 2.0