Walter and Klaasen torch Sunrisers as Tongue's four-fer books Super Giants' Hundred final spot

London: Manchester Super Giants are one step away from Hundred glory after dismantling Sunrisers Leeds in the Eliminator at The Oval, registering a convincing 20-run victory and setting up a Sunday showdown with Trent Rockets in the final.

For the second time in just four days, the Super Giants proved too hot to handle for the Sunrisers. After posting a commanding 186 on the back of a sensational 80 from Paul Walter and a blistering 63 from Heinrich Klaasen, Josh Tongue's four-wicket haul and a nerveless death-bowling exhibition from Liam Dawson extinguished any hopes of a Leeds comeback.

Super Giants overcome early wobble

Asked to bat first, Tim Seifert was unable to recreate his heroics from the previous meeting, falling for a two-ball duck. The resulting 30-run Powerplay, however, proved a false alarm for the Sunrisers. The Super Giants were slow to take off before Jos Buttler picked out the fence and Walter broke the shackles at his end too.

Buttler was the chief aggressor in a 57-run partnership, falling for 33 to a slower ball from Matthew Potts. But his dismissal brought no respite for the Sunrisers as Klaasen raced off the blocks and Walter gathered steam at the other end.

The southpaw was adjudged caught behind on 49, only for the decision to be overturned on review, with the ball having hit his thigh pad. He hammered the very next delivery over the fence, clearing his favoured cow-corner region to raise a fifty in emphatic fashion. Nothing the Sunrisers tried worked on a beautiful batting strip as Klaasen brought up a 22-ball half-century with consecutive sixes off Tom Lawes, who ended the day having conceded 48 runs.

Klaasen eventually holed out to long on off a Nathan Ellis blockhole delivery, but the pair's 114-run stand off just 62 deliveries had inflicted severe damage. Walter continued to target the leg-side boundary, finishing with eight sixes in all. His innings witnessed an anticlimactic end, though, as he turned for a non-existent second run off the final ball before slipping and falling, resulting in a run out.

Brook-Rickelton stand not enough

The tournament's standout batter, Mitchell Marsh, began with a four and six off Gus Atkinson, but miscued a Tongue delivery to fall for his first sub-30 score of the season. Tongue then trapped Zak Crawley leg before to leave the Sunrisers in trouble inside the first ten balls.

An 81-run stand between Harry Brook and Ryan Rickelton revived the chase, with Brook unleashing his full repertoire of strokes as he welcomed Sonny Baker with a 19-run set. Rickelton kept pace, and the Sunrisers reached 92 at the halfway mark — three more than the Super Giants had managed at the same stage.

Baker earned redemption when Brook failed to connect with a ramp and was dismissed LBW. That triggered a mini-collapse, as Dan Lawrence fell to a stunning Leus du Plooy catch at deep mid-wicket before Matthew Revis also departed, the Sunrisers losing three wickets for nine runs. Liam Patterson-White struck a breezy 17 off eight deliveries before Tongue deceived him with a slower ball for his fourth wicket.

Dawson's inspired death spell seals the deal

Rickelton reached his fifty, and with 34 needed off the last ten balls, the Super Giants summoned Liam Dawson into the attack for the first time. It proved an inspired move: Dawson nailed three consecutive yorkers to keep Rickelton off strike before dismissing Brydon Carse immediately. He conceded just 13 runs from his ten deliveries to clinch the Super Giants' place in the final.

This marks the franchise's third appearance in the Men's Hundred showpiece, after the erstwhile Manchester Originals reached the summit clash in 2022 and 2023. They will now face Trent Rockets in Sunday's final, seeking the first silverware in the club's Hundred history.

Brief scores

Manchester Super Giants 186/4 in 100 balls (Paul Walter 80, Heinrich Klaasen 63, Jos Buttler 33; Brydon Carse 1-22) beat Sunrisers Leeds 166/7 in 100 balls (Ryan Rickelton 54*, Harry Brook 49; Josh Tongue 4-26, Sonny Baker 2-39) by 20 runs.