Marsh’s Massive Reach Turns Good-Length Balls into Six-Hitting Chances

Mitchell Marsh produced one of the most commanding batting performances of IPL 2026, smashing the fastest century for Lucknow Super Giants against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in Lucknow. His 111 off 56 balls was not just powerful hitting, but a display of control, reach and trust in the surface.

What made Marsh’s innings special was the way he attacked deliveries that were not bad balls. His first three sixes came against Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, two bowlers known for accuracy and discipline. The deliveries were pitched around the good-length area, close to seven metres, but Marsh still managed to extend his arms and send them over the boundary with clean off-drive-style shots.

At the Ekana Stadium, where batting has often been difficult for LSG, Marsh’s innings gave the home side a much-needed lift. Lucknow had struggled on similar surfaces earlier in the season, but Marsh said the pitch looked better this time. Backing that assessment, he looked to maximise the powerplay and put pressure on RCB’s bowlers from the start.

Marsh’s height and reach played a major role in his success. As one of the tallest openers in the game, he can get to lengths that many batters cannot access so easily. That allowed him to turn Hazlewood’s usually dangerous good-length deliveries into scoring opportunities.

His battle with Hazlewood was especially important. The Australian fast bowler is difficult to attack once he settles into rhythm, but Marsh did not allow him that comfort. He moved early, trusted the bounce and struck cleanly.

For LSG, who had entered the match after a poor run of results, Marsh’s knock offered a major positive. His ability to hit quality balls without losing shape could become a key part of Lucknow’s batting rebuild going forward.

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