Leeds Sunrisers secure dominant victory over MI London in Women’s Hundred opener

By George Aldridge — 21 July 2026 — 3 min read

Sunrisers Leeds begin new era with strong performance

Sunrisers Leeds commenced the new season of The Hundred women’s competition with a decisive seven-wicket win against MI London at The Oval. The match marked the start of the sixth year for The Hundred, with MI London facing Sunrisers Leeds on the opening day.

The Sunrisers Leeds bowling attack delivered a strong all-round performance, limiting MI London to a total of 107-8 from their 100 balls. Following this, Sunrisers Leeds successfully chased down their target, reaching 109-3 with 31 balls remaining in their innings.

Among the top performers for Sunrisers Leeds was Australian batter Phoebe Litchfield, who led the scoring with 43 runs from 26 deliveries. Her compatriot, Annabel Sutherland, also contributed significantly, finishing unbeaten with 30 runs from 23 balls.

Injury concern for Sunrisers Leeds

Despite the strong start to their campaign, Sunrisers Leeds experienced a moment of concern when experienced bowler Kate Cross sustained a shoulder injury. The incident occurred while Cross was fielding, requiring her to be taken off the field by the physio.

Initial reports confirmed that the injury was not a dislocation. However, Cross is scheduled for a scan to determine the full extent of the damage. This development left England all-rounder Dani Gibson, who captains Sunrisers Leeds after being the most expensive women’s player in the auction, with one less bowler.

Despite the setback, the remaining bowlers for Sunrisers Leeds stepped up to maintain pressure on the opposition. India spinner Deepti Sharma was instrumental in taking key wickets, dismissing MI London openers Hayley Matthews and Danni Wyatt-Hodge after they had made a positive start, reaching 56-0.

From that point, MI London‘s scoring slowed, and Sunrisers Leeds continued to take wickets consistently. Dani Gibson contributed with 2-17, while leg-spinner Hannah Baker also claimed 2-16. Hayley Matthews was MI London‘s top scorer with 33 runs from 22 balls, and Hannah Baker was the most economical bowler for Sunrisers Leeds with 2-16.

Surrey players in The Hundred 2026

The 2026 season of The Hundred features a number of players from Surrey across various teams. For MI London, Sam Curran is set to lead the men’s defending champions, with teammates including Tom Curran, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Ollie Sykes, and Jason Roy.

Several Surrey players will continue to call The Kia Oval home while representing MI London. These include Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Kira Chathli, Alice Davidson-Richards, Alice Monaghan, Kalea Moore, and Alexa Stonehouse, who spent the recent season on loan at Warwickshire. Additionally, Kate Coppack, a recent signing for Surrey who will join the club before the 2027 season, will also play for MI London this summer.

Other Surrey players are distributed among different teams. Alice Capsey and Jemima Spence will join Laurie Evans at Birmingham Phoenix. Matt Fisher and Jamie Overton are heading to Lord’s to play for London Spirit.

Gus Atkinson, along with Ryana MacDonald-Gay and Paige Scholfield, will play for Manchester Super Giants. They will be joined by Maitlan Brown. A group of five Surrey players, including Jamie Smith, Chris Jordan, Dan Worrall, Tilly Corteen-Coleman, and Phoebe Franklin, will be based at the Utilita Bowl for Southern Brave.

Surrey skipper Bryony Smith has joined the women’s defending champions, Sunrisers Leeds, at Headingley. The men’s squad for Sunrisers Leeds includes Dan Lawrence, Tom Lawes, and Reece Topley. Sophia Dunley will play for Trent Rockets, and Jordan Clark is heading to Wales to represent Welsh Fire after being selected as a wildcard pick.

The next matches in The Hundred are scheduled for Wednesday, with Southern Brave taking on Welsh Fire at Southampton. The women’s game is set to begin at 14:45 BST, followed by the men’s game at 18:30 BST.

Source: bbc.com