Trent Rockets booked a place in the knockouts of The Hundred women’s competition with a thumping nine-wicket win over already-eliminated MI London.
Nat Sciver-Brunt (67no off 36 balls) and Beth Mooney (54no off 44) struck sublime half-centuries as Rockets eased to their 122-run target with 18 balls to spare to claim a fifth-straight win.
Earlier, Australian left-arm spinner Sam Bates claimed 3-13 to move joint-top of the wicket-taking charts as MI London struggled to 121-5.
The Rockets then strolled to their target, despite Sophia Dunkley being dismissed for a three-ball duck. Sciver-Brunt and Mooney’s subsequent 118-run stand is the second-highest partnership in the history of the women’s competition.
MI London had made a steady enough start after being asked to bat, reaching 28-0, but the innings fell away after Bates took the key wicket of Hayley Matthews (10), trapped lbw.
Hollie Armitage (4) fell cheaply to Charley Phillips, before Bates struck twice off consecutive deliveries – dismissing Kira Chathli (31 from 27) lbw before Nicola Carey fell to a smart stumping by Mooney – as the hosts slumped to 49-4, with only an MI London review denying her the wicket of Alice Monaghan and a hat-trick.
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Trent Rockets’ Sam Bates was denied a hat-trick after MI London’s Alice Monaghan reviewed the umpire’s original decision of out lbw on Bates’ hat-trick ball which proved to be agonisingly missing the wickets
Monaghan (27no off 21) and Melie Kerr (17 off 14) rebuilt, before Chinelle Henry (27no off 21) struck a flurry of boundaries late on, but their total looked well below-bar on a good deck against a rampant Rockets outfit. And so it proved.
What is happening in The Hundred on Sunday?
It’s another four-match day, with two games apiece at Headingley and Lord’s.
SunRisers Leeds first host Welsh Fire (women’s game 11am, men’s 2.30pm), the two teams jostling for position in the latter stages of both the women’s and men’s tournaments.
London Spirit then take on Birmingham Phoenix (women’s game 2.30pm, men’s 6pm), both battling for pride as they’ve already been eliminated from the women’s and men’s competitions.
Watch every match of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday August 16. Watch The Hundred and more contract-free on NOW
