Trent Rockets beat the Oval Invincibles to keep their slim qualification hopes in The Hundred alive at the Kia Oval.
Defeat for the Rockets would have ended their hopes of reaching the knockout stages but left-arm seamer Alexa Stonehouse set the tempo for a polished bowling performance with one for five from 15 deliveries.
Australia all-rounder Ash Gardner dismissed Marizanne Kapp and Meg Lanning within three deliveries, while fellow spinner Kirstie Gordon also claimed a couple of wickets as the Invincibles posted 109 for seven.
The Rockets seemed poised for a routine win after racing to 51 for none in 35 balls but Bryony Smith’s departure for 24 was followed by a rare failure for England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt, out for two.
Both the Rockets and the Invincibles now need to win their remaining two matches (Photo: ECB)
Gardner (11) and Grace Scrivens (34) holed out as the Rockets lurched to 75 for four at the Kia Oval, but Jodi Grewcock (21 not out) and Heather Graham (19no) sealed a six-wicket win with 16 balls to spare.
Scrivens said: “I’m happy to get the win. I was really glad to be back in the team and to help contribute. Obviously, I would have liked to have finished it off, but I’m happy.
“I thought it was a really good pitch, I thought they were under-par, and I was happy when we chased them.”
Both the Rockets and the Invincibles now sit on eight points but need to win their remaining two matches and hope results go in their favour elsewhere to finish in the top three of the group stage.
How do matches work?
One hundred balls a side, the team with the most runs wins. It is as simple as that.Five bowlers can bowl up to 20 balls in an innings, including five or 10 in a row.The traditional six-ball overs seen in other forms of cricket are not used in The Hundred, with 10 balls bowled before a change of ends.The powerplay is for the first 25 balls of an innings, with only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle.A 25-ball-a-side game is the minimum length that can be played in the event of wet weather.
What’s next?
The Hundred continues live on Sky Sports Cricket on Friday with Welsh Fire away at Birmingham Phoenix.
London Spirit play on Saturday against Southern Brave at Lord’s while Northern Superchargers play on the same day against Oval Invincibles at Headingley.
Manchester Originals are back in action on Sunday against Birmingham Phoenix when Welsh Fire also take on Trent Rockets.
Watch every match across the women’s and men’s competitions live on Sky Sports from August 5-31.
