London Spirit became the first men's team knocked out of this year's Hundred after a four-wicket defeat by MI London at Lord's on 6 August 2026. The loss, their fifth in six matches this season, confirmed what the table had been suggesting for weeks: Spirit's campaign is over with fixtures still to play. MI London, meanwhile, climbed to second.

The match itself was a belter in front of 27,721 people — the largest crowd ever for a group-stage game in The Hundred's short history. For context, The Hundred is cricket's 100-balls-per-side format, designed for fast finishes and television-friendly run times. This one delivered on both counts.

Spirit batted first and posted 160-5 from their 100 balls. Opener Lhuan-Dre Pretorius set the tempo with 52 off 28 balls, striking cleanly through the off-side before falling to a piece of fielding brilliance: Will Jacks scooped up a catch on the boundary and relayed it back in mid-dive to complete the dismissal. David Willey chipped in with 31 off 18, and James Coles — the most expensive signing at this year's auction — made an unbeaten 30 to give the innings a respectable spine.

For Spirit head coach Andy Flower, it was another night where the total felt competitive but ultimately short. Spirit had won only one of six matches coming into this fixture, and the pattern of decent batting undone by leaky bowling has defined their season.

MI London's chase wobbled early but never derailed. Nicholas Pooran, the West Indian left-hander who anchors their middle order, scored 39 off 25 before David Willey's direct hit ran him out — a sharp piece of work that briefly reignited the home crowd. Sam Curran kept the chase ticking with 33.

The decisive passage came from an unlikely source. Sikandar Raza, playing his first match of the campaign after replacing Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan in the lineup, smashed 32 off 16 balls with four sixes. Coming in with the required rate climbing, Raza swung the momentum decisively. His contribution turned a tricky chase into a manageable one.

Tom Curran and Ollie Pope — the latter freshly recalled to England's Test side — saw MI London home with six balls to spare, reaching 164-6. Pope's presence in a franchise finisher's role, days after his international recall, added an extra layer of interest for England watchers.

For MI London, the win tightens the race at the top of the table. For London Spirit, the remaining fixtures are academic. A record crowd, a debutant match-winner, and a chase completed with an over to spare: the format's promise of compressed drama held up, even if the home side's tournament is done.