Manchester Originals Stun Northern Superchargers with Buttler’s Brilliance

On a crisp evening at Headingley, Leeds, on August 26, 2025, the Northern Superchargers came out to bat first against the Manchester Originals in a pulsating 100-ball clash.

Northern Superchargers Innings

Openers Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan stepped up, tasked with giving their side a steady start, but the script took a dramatic turn almost immediately. James Anderson, the wily veteran whose pace hasn’t dimmed with age, struck a hammer blow in the first set of five balls. Malan, trying to assert himself with a drive, managed only 3 runs off 4 balls before edging to Jos Buttler behind the stumps. The crowd fell silent as the Superchargers slumped to 5 for 1 after just 6 balls.

It was a dream start for the Originals, and Anderson’s fiery spell set the tone for a testing opening phase. Dan Lawrence, striding in at number three, wasn’t about to let the early wicket dampen spirits. He came out swinging, cracking two boundaries in a whirlwind 8 off 3 balls. But Anderson wasn’t done. On the 9th ball, he trapped Lawrence lbw, and despite a hopeful review, the umpire’s call stood, leaving the Superchargers teetering at 13 for 2.

Enter Harry Brook, the local hero and captain, alongside Crawley, with the job of steadying a sinking ship. The duo dug in, mixing caution with occasional flair, and stitched together a 40-run stand for the third wicket. Crawley played with his trademark elegance, while Brook showed glimpses of his attacking instincts, flicking and driving with confidence. By the end of the 25-ball powerplay, they nudged the score to 34, a decent recovery but not exactly fireworks, as the Originals’ bowlers kept things tight. Brook, sensing the need to up the tempo, reached 20 off 20 balls with two fours, but his charge was halted when Scott Currie struck at the 43rd ball. Phil Salt pouched a sharp catch, and the Superchargers were wobbling again at 48 for 3.

Crawley, who held the innings together with a patient 17 off 17, didn’t last much longer. Josh Tongue, steaming in, induced an edge, and Scott Currie held on to leave the Superchargers at 54 for 4 after 46 balls. The middle order was under the pump now, and Michael Pepper, the wicketkeeper-batter, couldn’t find his groove. His laboured 8 off 13 balls ended when he nicked a Tom Aspinwall delivery to Buttler, sinking the Superchargers further into the mire at five down.

It was time for David Miller and Samit Patel to roll up their sleeves. Miller, the South African powerhouse, opted for a measured approach, picking singles and twos to keep the scoreboard ticking. Patel, however, had other ideas. The veteran all-rounder unleashed a breathtaking assault, smashing 42 off just 19 balls in a knock that lit up Headingley. With four boundaries and three massive sixes, Patel’s innings was a masterclass in power-hitting, his experience shining through as he took on the Originals’ bowlers with gusto.

Together, he and Miller added a vital 59 runs for the sixth wicket, dragging the Superchargers past 100 by the 84th ball. Miller’s 30 off 22 balls, including three sixes but no fours, was the perfect foil to Patel’s aggression. The strategic timeout at 80 balls, with the score at 94 for 5, gave the Superchargers a chance to catch their breath and plot the final push. But the Originals weren’t about to let them run away.

Tongue returned to dismiss Miller, caught by Ben McKinney for 30 on the 94th ball. Patel’s heroics ended in the 99th ball, caught by McKinney off Aspinwall, who then capped a brilliant spell by bowling Matthew Potts for a duck on the final ball. Tom Lawes, unbeaten on 2 off 2, watched from the other end as the Superchargers closed at 139 for 8. Extras chipped in with 9 runs, comprising 6 wides, 2 no-balls, and 1 leg-bye.

Aspinwall was the star with the ball, his 3 for 17 in 20 balls a standout effort. Anderson and Tongue backed him up with two wickets apiece, conceding 30 and 26 runs, respectively. Currie and Ish Sodhi kept things tight, though Sodhi didn’t claim a scalp. The Superchargers’ innings was a rollercoaster: a shaky start, a spirited fightback led by Patel’s pyrotechnics, and a late stumble that kept the total within reach. The slow over-rate penalty, forcing an extra fielder inside the circle for the last six balls, didn’t help, but 140 to defend felt like a fighting chance on a pitch that still had something for the bowlers.

Manchester Originals Innings

Chasing 140 in 100 balls, the Manchester Originals knew they needed to stay calm under pressure to chase down the Northern Superchargers’ total on August 26, 2025. The Headingley crowd was still buzzing as openers Phil Salt and Ben McKinney faced the new-ball threat of Jacob Duffy and Matthew Potts. The Superchargers’ bowlers came out firing, and Duffy drew first blood in the 14th ball, removing McKinney for 6 off 8 balls. A mistimed lofted shot found Potts in the field, and the Originals were off to a wobbly start.

Salt, the captain, tried to anchor the innings but couldn’t find his rhythm, scratching around for 9 off 13 balls before Tom Lawes had him caught by Zak Crawley in the 31st ball. At 31 for 2 after 31 balls, with just 23 runs in the powerplay, the Originals were in a spot of bother.
Then came the game’s defining moment: Jos Buttler, the Originals’ heartbeat, strode to the crease alongside Rachin Ravindra. What followed was pure magic. Buttler, in the form of his life, tore into the Superchargers’ attack, while Ravindra played the ideal supporting act.

Their 99-run third-wicket partnership was a thing of beauty, flipping the chase on its head. Buttler’s 70 off 37 balls was a T20 masterclass, seven fours, five sixes, and a strike rate of 189.18. He raced to fifty in just 27 balls, dispatching bowlers with crisp drives and lofted shots, especially punishing the spinners. Ravindra, unbeaten on 47 off 23 balls, was no slouch either, hammering five fours and two sixes at a strike rate of 204.34. Their 50-run stand took just 26 balls, leaving the Superchargers’ bowlers shell-shocked.

The Originals hit 50 in 42 balls and surged past 100 by the 64th ball, with Buttler and Ravindra in complete command. The Superchargers tried everything, rotating bowlers, but nothing worked. Adil Rashid finally broke through, bowling Buttler with a clever googly in the 79th ball. Buttler’s 70 was the innings of the match, earning him the Player of the Match award. At 130 for 3, the Originals needed just 10 runs off 21 balls. Heinrich Klaasen joined Ravindra, coolly knocking off the runs, finishing unbeaten on 2 off 3 balls. The Originals sealed the chase at 140 for 3 in 84 balls, winning by 7 wickets with 16 balls to spare.

The Superchargers’ bowlers couldn’t find answers. Duffy was tidy, conceding 16 runs in 15 balls for his one wicket, while Potts bowled well for 17 runs in 15 balls but went wicketless. Lawes took 1 for 20, but the spinners struggled. Samit Patel’s 14 balls cost 31 runs (2.21 per ball), and Rashid’s 20 balls went for 39 (1.95 per ball). Dan Lawrence, used for just 5 balls, leaked 13 runs. The Originals’ chase was a clinic, with Buttler’s brilliance and Ravindra’s composure making the early losses of Salt and McKinney a distant memory. The 6 extras (4 leg-byes, 2 wides) barely mattered as the Originals cruised to victory, pocketing 4 points while the Superchargers, stuck in third, left with nothing.

TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game

Samit Patel stole the show with the Magic Moment of the Game for the Northern Superchargers in their 139 for 8. His blistering 42 off 19 balls, at a strike rate of 221.05, was a lifeline when the team was in deep trouble. With early wickets falling of Dawid Malan (3 off 4), Dan Lawrence (8 off 3), Zak Crawley (17 off 17), and Harry Brook (20 off 20), Patel walked in and changed the game.

Smashing four boundaries and three sixes, he played with fearless aggression, partnering David Miller (30 off 22) to push the score to a competitive total. His knock ended in the 99th ball, caught off Tom Aspinwall (3 for 17), but not before he gave the Superchargers hope. Aspinwall, Anderson, and Tongue (two wickets each) kept the pressure on, but Patel’s fireworks were the highlight of the innings.

TCNI’s Hero of the Day

Jos Buttler, the Manchester Originals’ captain and wicketkeeper, was the undisputed Hero of the Day, lighting up Headingley with a sensational 70 off 37 balls to chase 140. His seven fours and five sixes, at a strike rate of 189.18, were a display of pure class. Walking in after an early wicket, Buttler steadied the innings before unleashing hell on the Superchargers’ bowlers, particularly Samit Patel and Adil Rashid.

A special innings from Jos Buttler 🩷#TheHundred | #RoadToTheEliminator pic.twitter.com/JuArgM4yve

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 26, 2025

His 99-run stand with Rachin Ravindra (47 not out) sealed the deal, guiding the Originals to 140 for 3 in 84 balls for a 7-wicket win. Buttler’s dismissal in the 79th ball to Rashid’s googly couldn’t dampen his impact, earning him the Player of the Match award. His leadership and batting brilliance made him the game’s standout star.