Buttler, Baker, and Tongue Power Originals to Big Win Over Superchargers

Manchester Originals reignited their Men’s Hundred campaign with a dominant 57-run victory over the in-form Northern Superchargers at Old Trafford, thanks to Jos Buttler’s brilliance with the bat and a devastating bowling display led by Sonny Baker and Josh Tongue.

Buttler Leads From the Front

Jos Buttler once again proved why he is one of the competition’s premier performers, anchoring the Originals’ innings with a commanding unbeaten 64. It marked his seventh career fifty in The Hundred and took him to the top of this season’s run-scorers chart.

Buttler received strong support from Rachin Ravindra, making his first appearance of the campaign with a fluent 31 off just 14 balls, and Heinrich Klaasen, who bludgeoned a rapid 50 from 25 balls to propel the Originals to 171 for 3.

Despite Matthew Potts picking up two wickets for the Superchargers, their bowling unit struggled to contain the Originals, particularly at the death. Buttler and Klaasen combined for a destructive 27 runs from the final 11 balls, helping the Originals smash nine sixes in total.

Superchargers Falter in the Chase

In response, Northern Superchargers started brightly with Zak Crawley striking two crisp cover drives and a six off Tongue, but his dismissal for 16 via a sharp catch at backward point by Matty Hurst proved the turning point.

Harry Brook’s dismissal for 11, top-edging a sweep off Ravindra, further derailed the chase. Only David Miller (38) showed any resistance as the rest of the batting lineup crumbled under pressure.

Sonny Baker was the standout with the ball, finishing the game in style with a hat-trick. After bowling Dawid Malan for 19 off the 50th ball, he returned to dismiss Tom Lawes (caught by Lewis Gregory) and Jacob Duffy (clean bowled) to seal victory.

Josh Tongue matched Baker’s impact with 3 for 21, and now leads the tournament wicket charts with nine, one ahead of teammate Scott Currie. Noor Ahmad also impressed with his mystery spin, conceding less than a run per ball and taking two wickets. Ravindra contributed with a wicket and tidy middle sets.

Originals Back in the Mix

This emphatic win puts the Originals firmly back in playoff contention in what is shaping up to be a closely fought tournament. The Superchargers, despite the heavy loss, remain in a three-way tie at the top of the table ahead of a crucial final week.

What They Said

Jos Buttler (Meerkat Match Hero):
"It was hard work but I tried not to get frustrated. We built partnerships, which was crucial. We’ve seen how this pitch can behave and just tried to keep things simple. There’s great variety in our attack – Josh and Sonny complement each other brilliantly, and Noor is a trump card."

Phil Salt (Manchester Originals captain):
"It's been a chasing competition so far, so to post a total like that batting first is a huge positive. Bowling-wise, we’ve been strong – Sonny’s brilliant, mad as a box of frogs! You just wind him up and let him go. It’s all about building momentum now."

With confidence restored and match-winners firing, Manchester Originals will look to ride this momentum into their remaining fixtures as the race for the playoffs heats up.