London Spirit became the first team to be eliminated from the 2026 Men’s Hundred after Sikandar Raza’s blistering 16-ball 32 powered MI London to a four-wicket win at Lord’s on Thursday (August 6).
Chasing 161 in a must-win clash for the hosts, MI London got useful contributions from Nicholas Pooran (39) and Sam Curran (33) before Raza’s three sixes in his first seven deliveries swung the contest decisively in the visitors’ favour. Ollie Pope then completed the chase with six balls to spare as MI London climbed to second on the points table.
The chase ebbed and flowed before Raza seized control. Matt Fisher, hours after earning an England Test recall, had an eventful start as Will Jacks launched his first delivery for six before holing out off the very next ball. Mason Crane then applied the brakes with a superb opening spell, dismissing James Vince first ball and conceding only three runs in his first set. Pooran and Curran steadied the innings, but David Willey’s sharp direct-hit run out of the West Indian briefly handed the initiative back to Spirit.
The wicket brought Raza to the crease and the Zimbabwe all-rounder immediately counterattacked, launching three towering sixes and adding 41 in only 18 balls with Sam Curran in a game-changing stand that left MI London needing 29 from the last 20 balls. Spirit threatened another twist by dismissing Curran and Sherfane Rutherford in quick succession, but James Coles conceded 17 runs from his only five-ball spell, including a mammoth 105-metre six from Raza. Although the all-rounder fell with 10 balls remaining, Pope calmly wrapped up the chase.
Earlier, after being asked to bat, Spirit never quite managed to break free despite Lhuan-dre Pretorius’s enterprising half-century. The South African struck 52 off 28 balls before his innings ended courtesy of one of the catches of the tournament, with Jacks juggling the ball over the boundary before diving back to complete a spectacular one-handed grab.
The dismissals of Liam Livingstone and Dewald Brevis kept Spirit from fully capitalising on the platform, while Willey chipped in with a brisk 31 off 18. A late flourish from Jamie Overton and Coles eventually lifted the hosts to a competitive 160 for 5, but Raza’s explosive intervention ensured it wasn’t enough.
Brief scores: London Spirit 160/5 in 100 balls (Lhuan-dre Pretorius 52 off 18, David Willey 31 off 18; Nathan Sowter 2-29) lost to MI London 164/6 in 94 balls (Nicholas Pooran 39 off 25, Sam Curran 33 off 23, Sikandar Raza 32 off 16; Jamie Overton 2-23) by 4 wickets.
