Published 23 July 2026. Analysis and predictions are our opinion,
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Sunrisers Leeds host Southern Brave at Headingley on Saturday, with the women’s fixture at 11am followed by the men’s game at 2.30pm UK time. It is the fifth match of The Hundred’s 2026 men’s competition and the second outing for both sides, after Sunrisers opened their campaign against MI London at the Oval on Tuesday and Southern Brave are yet to play their first game of the tournament.
Bookmakers have this close to a pick ’em. Grosvenor, Casumo, LiveScore Bet and Virgin Bet all make Sunrisers narrow favourites at 7/8, with Southern Brave out to 9/10. BoyleSports goes further, Sunrisers in at 5/6 and Brave also out to 9/10.
The case for Sunrisers Leeds
Zak Crawley captains the reigning women’s champions’ men’s side for the first time this year, with Daniel Vettori in charge as head coach. Their opener against MI London did not go to plan: chasing 144, Nicholas Pooran smashed an unbeaten 58 off 22 balls, the fastest fifty in the Oval franchise’s history, and Sam Curran finished it off with 60 not out as MI London won by seven wickets with 16 balls to spare. Crawley will look to his big-money signings to respond. Harry Brook, signed for £465,000 and England’s white-ball captain, gives the top order a player capable of taking a game away from the opposition inside a few overs, while Mitchell Marsh offers another opener with the range to score fast from ball one. Nathan Ellis and Brydon Carse lead an attack that also retains the experienced Reece Topley, with academy graduates Matty Revis and Charlie Allison offering fresh options further down the order.
The case for Southern Brave
Brave go into their first match of the season under a new captain, Chris Jordan, who takes over from James Vince after Vince’s move to MI London in the trade window. Hemang Badani takes charge as head coach. The squad is built around a seam attack as sharp as any in the competition: Jofra Archer at £400,000, Adil Rashid at £250,000 and Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis at £150,000 give Jordan three international-standard options to close out an innings. Jamie Smith, England’s Test wicketkeeper, arrives for £300,000 to anchor the top order, and 18-year-old Thomas Rew offers a second wicketkeeping option with real upside. A bowling attack that strong, coming into a game fresh rather than off the back of a heavy defeat, is the case for taking the extra couple of points on offer.
What looks the smart angle
Sunrisers lost their opener in a hurry, but one bad session against Pooran at his best does not undo the value of Brook and Marsh at the top of an order that has not yet had a chance to bat properly. Southern Brave’s attack is the best reason to take 9/10 with BoyleSports: Archer, Rashid and Stoinis at the death is a tough combination for any batting line-up still finding its feet. On balance the bowling edge looks like it is worth backing, and Brave’s price with BoyleSports looks fair value in a genuinely tight match. This is opinion rather than a prediction, and a 100-ball game between two sides with plenty of firepower can turn on two or three overs either way.
Elsewhere today
Welsh Fire host MI London at the Utilita Bowl later on Saturday evening, the second half of a men’s double-header day. London Spirit play Manchester Super Giants at Lord’s on Thursday, and Birmingham Phoenix, now led by Donovan Ferreira after Jacob Bethell’s injury withdrawal, host Trent Rockets on Friday.
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