Paul Walter's 80 Sends Manchester Super Giants Into Hundred Final

LONDON —

Paul Walter, an Essex all-rounder who spent most of the season on the bench, hit 80 off just 46 balls to carry Manchester Super Giants past Sunrisers Leeds by 20 runs in the Hundred's men's Eliminator, according to Yahoo Sports and BBC Sport. The win, at the Oval in London, sends Super Giants into Sunday's final against Trent Rockets at Lord's.

Walter And Klaasen Pile On The Runs

Super Giants were put in to bat and posted 186-4 from their 100 balls. Walter came through a shaky start, with opener Tim Seifert dismissed on the second ball of the innings, and steadied things alongside Jos Buttler, who made 33 off 20 balls, BBC Sport reported. Walter then found a partner in South African batter Heinrich Klaasen, and the two put on 114 runs off just 52 balls, with Walter hitting eight sixes and Klaasen four before Klaasen fell for 63 off 26 balls to Nathan Ellis, according to BBC Sport.

Walter's innings was built almost entirely on one side of the field. BBC Sport reported that 76 percent of his runs this tournament have come on the leg side, and he reached his half-century off just 29 balls, with Klaasen following two balls faster. Sunrisers Leeds kept feeding seam bowling into that leg-side strength and largely avoided using their spinners as a result, according to BBC Sport, with Liam Patterson-White bowling just five balls of spin all innings while Super Giants leaned on Liam Dawson, Noor Ahmad and Michael Bracewell when they batted.

It capped an unlikely rise for the 32-year-old Walter, who was signed for £31,000 (about $39,000) at this year's auction, a fraction of the £390,000 (about $494,000) London Spirit paid for James Coles, BBC Sport reported. He did not play in Super Giants' first five games of the season and only got a chance at the top of the order after South African batter Aiden Markram left the tournament for personal reasons, according to BBC Sport. Walter has since scored 225 runs in four games, averaging 76 at a strike rate of 181.45, BBC Sport reported.

Tongue Shuts The Chase Down

Chasing 187, Sunrisers Leeds finished at 166-7. England seamer Josh Tongue took 4-26 to lead the bowling effort, according to Yahoo Sports. The tournament's leading run-scorer, Mitch Marsh, was caught for 10 after a fast start, and captain Zak Crawley was out lbw for six after unsuccessfully reviewing the decision. That review proved costly when Harry Brook, who had reached 49 off 31 balls, was given out lbw playing a reverse scoop, even though replays showed the ball's impact was outside off stump, Yahoo Sports and BBC Sport both reported.

Brook's dismissal left Sunrisers needing 89 off 44 balls, and the chase fell apart from there. Tongue removed both Marsh and Crawley, while Sonny Baker took 2-39 as the pair tore through the middle order, according to Yahoo Sports. Opener Ryan Rickelton finished unbeaten on 54 off 34 balls, but it wasn't enough to keep Sunrisers Leeds alive.

Trent Rockets had already secured their spot in Sunday's men's final at Lord's by topping the league table, Sky Sports reported.