South African all-rounders Marizanne Kapp and Nadine de Klerk helped London Spirit Women chalk up their first win of The Hundred season as they inflicted a maiden defeat on Trent Rockets with a five-wicket triumph in Nottingham.
Kapp recorded bowling figures of 3-12 from 20 balls – she only conceded her first run off the bat from her 11th delivery – during Rockets’ 142-7 at Trent Bridge, in which England off-spinner Charlie Dean bagged 2-18 and home captain Ash Gardner (34) top-scored.
Spirit wobbled from 55-0 to 67-4 in the chase once the hard-hitting Grace Harris (37 off 20) departed but De Klerk (41no off 22), backed up by Marie Kelly (39), secured victory with three balls to spare, hitting the winning six off Georgia Adams over deep square leg.
The away side bounced back from an opening defeat to Manchester Super Giants in which they were rolled for 80, with Rockets unable to build on a nine-wicket drubbing of Birmingham Phoenix that saw them raze their fellow Midlanders for just 64.
Nadine de Klerk hit the match-winning six for Spirit
Highlights for Rockets on Sunday included Sophia Dunkley (23 off 15) slamming three boundaries in a row off Deandra Dottin, whose figures read an eye-watering 0-32 from 10 balls after Ash Gardner and Sophie Luff (24 off 19) collared her later on.
De Klerk was nailed for three fours on the trot by Gardner but it was her own boundary hitting that ended up clinching the game, with two fours and three sixes including a late maximum off a Gardner full toss, crunched over the covers.
In the day’s other women’s match, Super Giants and Phoenix were thwarted by the rain at Emirates Old Trafford with no play possible in their scheduled 11am start.
What is happening in The Hundred on Monday?
After the four-games-a-day set-up at the weekend, Monday sees a return to a single double-header with Southern Brave’s women’s side hosting MI London from 3pm before the men’s sides square off from 6.30pm. Catch both fixtures live on Sky Sports.
