Trent teams are finals bound thanks to key Aussie contributions at The Oval
Trent Rockets pair Tim David and Mitch Santner have helped steer their side into the knockout stage of The Hundred cricket competition with a 78-run partnership in a six-wicket win over MI London.
In pursuit of 148 for a sixth win in seven matches, the Rockets made a shaky start, losing Finn Allen, Aneurin Donald, Sam Billings and Ben Duckett with just 70 runs on the board halfway through their innings at The Oval in London on Saturday (local time).
But an unbeaten 32 off 24 deliveries from David – crowned Australia’s best T20 player last week – and a brilliant 52 not out off 23 balls from No.6 Santner catapulted the Rockets to victory with 10 balls in hand.
The Rockets extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points and hold the same advantage with a better net run-rate over fourth-placed Welsh Fire, who have two games to play.
MI London lost opener James Vince and Nicholas Pooran in quick succession, and after Will Jacks departed for a quickfire 39 the home side were indebted to Sam Curran, who hammered five sixes and four fours in a 46-ball 72, but it was not enough.
Manchester Super Giants boosted their bid for a top-three finish with a 10-run victory over Southern Brave at Southampton.
The Super Giants built their score of 8-149 around an opening partnership of 119 between Tim Seifert and Paul Walter.
Seifert made 55 from 34 deliveries before being run out by Moeen Ali, while Walter hit six fours and four sixes in his 32-ball 64.
Wickets tumbled at the end of the innings, with Adil Rashid picking up 2-17, but the target was just beyond Brave, whose Eliminator hopes are now over.
Tristan Stubbs led the reply with an unbeaten 53 from 28 deliveries, and Jamie Smith and Australia’s Marcus Stoinis chipped in with 26 and 21 respectively.
A 19-ball 10 from Nikhil Chaudhary, who made his T20 debut for Australia in June, gave Brave hope, but Gus Atkinson produced brilliant bowling at the death to lift the Super Giants into the top three on run rate.
Mooney and Bates lead Rockets’ thumping of MI London
Australian superstar Beth Mooney and England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt made half-centuries as Trent Rockets sealed their place in the knockout phase of The Hundred cricket competition with a nine-wicket win over MI London.
Opener Mooney hit six fours in an unbeaten 54 off 44 deliveries and Sciver-Brunt struck one six and nine fours in a 36-ball 67 as the Rockets cruised to victory with 18 balls to spare after MI London had been restricted to 5-121 at The Oval on Saturday.
The Rockets’ sixth win from seven matches this season lifted them on to 24 points at the top of the table, 12 clear of fourth-placed Leeds Sunrisers, who have two games to play. The top three teams qualify for the knockout stage.
MI London, who slipped to their fifth defeat of the season, had been reduced to 4-49 and 5-73 before Alice Monaghan and Chinelle Henry shared a 48-run partnership, both finishing on 27 not out off 21 balls.
Australian spinner Sam Bates did most of the damage with the ball for the Rockets, claiming 3-13.
In the day’s other women’s match, India pair Richa Ghosh and Smriti Mandhana helped Manchester Super Giants keep their Hundred Eliminator hopes alive with a 27-run victory over Southern Brave.
The Super Giants consolidated third place on the table after posting a competitive 4-139 at Southampton.
Ghosh smashed 54 off 34 balls with five fours and three sixes in a second-wicket stand of 83.
Fellow India international Mandhana made 46 off 36 balls and Australia’s Meg Lanning (10 not out off six deliveries) also added late impetus.
The Brave struggled to put pressure on the Giants after Laura Wolvaardt, who top-scored with 36 off 28 balls, fell to Mady Villiers.
England international Villiers finished with 3-17 from 20 balls as second-placed Brave fell well short of their target.
– with PA
