Tim Seifert Sets the Stage Before Liam Dawson Seals The Hundred 2026 Final

Mohammad Amir had spent most of the chase watching Manchester Super Giants strip the tension from The Hundred final. Then, with Lord’s preparing for a straightforward finish, the Pakistan fast bowler found three quick wickets and dragged Trent Rockets back into the contest.

The target remained within reach, but Manchester suddenly had new batters at the crease, a restless dressing room and a crowd wondering whether a dominant chase was about to collapse.

Liam Dawson ended the uncertainty with one clean swing. His winning six carried Manchester Super Giants to 159/5 from 98 balls, completing a five-wicket victory over Trent Rockets and securing the men’s Hundred title on Sunday, August 16, 2026.

Tim Seifert provided the innings that made the result possible. His 72 from 38 balls gave Manchester control of the chase before Amir’s late intervention briefly placed that control under serious pressure.

TL;DR

• Manchester Super Giants chased 159 in 98 balls to win the final by five wickets.
• Tim Seifert struck a match-winning 72 from 38 deliveries.
• Leus du Plooy supported the chase with an unbeaten 27.
• Mohammad Amir took three quick wickets to create late tension.
• Liam Dawson hit the winning six after Manchester’s anxious closing passage.
• Trent Rockets made 158 from 100 balls, with Aneurin Donald scoring 38 and Ben Duckett contributing 31.

Manchester Super Giants vs Trent Rockets Final: Key Information

Detail	Information
Competition	The Hundred Men’s Competition 2026, final
Match	Manchester Super Giants vs Trent Rockets
Date	Sunday, August 16, 2026
Venue	Lord’s Cricket Ground, London
Trent Rockets	158 from 100 balls
Rockets’ top batters	Aneurin Donald 38, Ben Duckett 31
Manchester Super Giants	159/5 from 98 balls
Super Giants’ top batters	Tim Seifert 72 (38), Leus du Plooy 27*
Leading Rockets bowler	Mohammad Amir, three wickets
Result	Manchester Super Giants won by five wickets
Match winner	Tim Seifert
Winning moment	Liam Dawson struck a six with two balls remaining
Tournament outcome	Manchester Super Giants crowned men’s Hundred 2026 champions

The result and competition context can be followed through The Hundred’s official website.

Jos Buttler’s Captaincy Keeps Trent Rockets Within Reach

Trent Rockets entered the final with the confidence of a team that had controlled much of the tournament. Their direct qualification gave them additional recovery time, while Manchester had needed to survive a demanding eliminator against Sunrisers Leeds.

That advantage failed to produce a commanding first-innings total.

Jos Buttler rotated his bowlers intelligently and refused to let any Rockets batter settle for a long stay. Josh Tongue maintained an accurate pace-bowling threat, Liam Dawson used changes of pace effectively, and Noor Ahmad prevented the middle order from controlling the spin matchup.

Aneurin Donald made 38 and Ben Duckett scored 31, but neither could convert his start into the substantial innings Rockets needed. Regular wickets disrupted their attempts to build toward a powerful final 20 balls.

Manchester’s field settings also reflected Buttler’s reading of the game. Boundary protection never came at the expense of wicket-taking opportunities. Rockets reached 158, a defendable total at Lord’s, although it lacked the extra 10 or 15 runs that could have transformed the pressure of the chase.

Readers can follow more tournament reporting through The Sports Encounter’s cricket news and analysis hub and the publication’s latest sports coverage.

Tim Seifert Takes Control of the Final

Seifert understood that Manchester could not allow the required rate to grow against a Rockets attack equipped with Amir’s new-ball movement and several useful changes of pace.

His 72 came from only 38 deliveries. The innings gave Manchester both speed and structure, allowing the batters around him to avoid taking unnecessary risks from the beginning of their stays.

Seifert’s strongest work came when he disrupted the lengths of Craig Overton, Calvin Harrison and Lewis Gregory. All three endured disappointing spells by the standards they had established during Rockets’ strong campaign. Short balls sat up, fuller deliveries entered the hitting arc, and their attempts to slow the pace rarely produced sustained control.

This was another important performance in a tournament filled with Seifert contributions. He had already struck 67 against London Spirit at Lord’s and later powered Manchester toward the playoffs with another decisive innings against Sunrisers Leeds. That latter performance is explored in The Sports Encounter’s report on Seifert driving Manchester toward the eliminator.

His final innings carried greater weight. Manchester had reached Lord’s through an extra knockout match, and Rockets had beaten them convincingly during the league stage. Seifert reversed that earlier script when the trophy was at stake.

Leus du Plooy Gives the Chase Its Calm Center

While Seifert controlled the tempo, Leus du Plooy gave Manchester stability.

His unbeaten 27 became particularly valuable once Amir began finding wickets. Du Plooy resisted the temptation to match Seifert’s aggression immediately, kept the scoreboard moving and remained at the crease while the finish became more complicated.

That restraint protected Manchester from a complete collapse. Even when Amir’s burst changed the atmosphere, du Plooy’s presence meant Rockets still needed to remove a settled batter.

His partnership with Seifert had already reduced the target to manageable proportions. The pair’s contrasting approaches left Manchester ahead of the required rate and created enough protection to survive the late wickets.

Mohammad Amir Creates One Final Twist

Rockets needed a dramatic intervention, and Amir supplied it.

The left-arm quick claimed three wickets in rapid succession, exposing Manchester’s lower middle order and forcing the chase into its 98th delivery. What had looked comfortable suddenly demanded clean decision-making under championship pressure.

Amir’s spell also showed what Rockets’ other seamers had missed. He attacked the stumps, varied his angles and made the batters play without offering easy pace. Overton, Harrison and Gregory struggled to apply the same restriction.

Rockets had one final opening. Dawson closed it by lifting the winning six and immediately releasing the tension that Amir had restored.

Trent Rockets Fall Short After a Dominant Campaign

The defeat should not erase the quality of Trent Rockets’ tournament.

They qualified directly for the final through bright, controlled performances and had already defeated Manchester during the group stage. Finn Allen supplied explosive starts, Duckett repeatedly shaped important innings, while the bowling unit gave the side enough variety to succeed on different surfaces.

Rockets also recovered from difficult positions throughout the campaign. Their ability to manage close chases helped them stay near the top, although their bowlers could not reproduce that composure in the final.

Their season included several memorable contests, including the 418-run thriller against Birmingham Phoenix highlighted across The Sports Encounter’s tournament coverage. Manchester’s route carried different demands. They recovered from setbacks, found their strongest combination late and then produced their two most complete performances in the knockout phase.

The eliminator victory over Sunrisers Leeds had required Paul Walter’s 80, Heinrich Klaasen’s late assault and Josh Tongue’s four wickets. Two days later, Seifert, du Plooy and Dawson took responsibility.

The Hundred 2026 Standout Performers

Seifert finishes as Manchester’s defining batter because his influence stretched across the campaign and peaked in the final. Tongue provided the tournament’s most important bowling spell for the champions in the eliminator, while Buttler’s captaincy connected the team’s varied match-winners.

Walter and Klaasen supplied the semifinal power. Dawson contributed control with the ball and the final’s last blow.

For Rockets, Allen’s explosive batting helped establish their dominance during the league stage. Duckett brought adaptability, Donald delivered their highest score in the final, and Amir gave them a last opportunity when the match appeared lost.

Elsewhere, The Sports Encounter tracked the tense qualification race through MI London’s narrow win over Birmingham Phoenix, a result that showed how unforgiving the tournament’s margins became.

Manchester Find Their Champion’s Finish

Manchester Super Giants entered the playoffs without the comfort enjoyed by Rockets. They needed to win twice in three days, adapt from The Oval to Lord’s and withstand one final burst from an elite fast bowler.

Seifert gave them the decisive innings. Buttler and his bowlers had already kept the target within reach. Du Plooy stayed calm when the final tightened, and Dawson found the boundary that mattered most.

Rockets can leave with frustration and considerable credit for their campaign. Manchester leave Lord’s with the trophy because their best cricket arrived when there was no room left for recovery.