Trent Rockets advanced to The Hundred Eliminator in second place with a thrilling three-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix in Nottingham.
Birmingham made 111-9 after Rockets had won the toss and chosen to field.
Dan Mousley (26), Will Smeed (23) and Ben Duckett (20) all made starts as Rockets leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed took three wickets for 11 runs.
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Liam Patterson-White removes Trent Rockets captain David Willey with one of the best deliveries in The Hundred so far
Ahmed also shone with the bat in making 37 from 23 balls, his second-wicket partnership with Joe Root (25 from 25 balls) worth 66.
Jacob Bethell (two for 22) Liam Patterson-White (two for 25) gave Phoenix hope, but an unbeaten 17 from Ben Cox got Rockets home with one ball to spare.
Finishing second means Rockets do not have to worry about the threat of rain at The Kia Oval.
If it rains, they are through to Sunday’s final at Lord’s to face two-time champions Oval Invincibles.
Named Meerkat Match Hero after his three wickets and quickfire knock, Rehan said: “Coxy was always going to do it, I had full trust in him.
“There was a lot of assistance for spinners on this pitch. We train on similar surfaces so it was about going out there and doing the same thing. I’ve enjoyed the opportunity I’ve been given and hopefully I can do it in the next couple of games.”
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 coming up on Thursday?
Southern Brave face Welsh Fire at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, with the women’s match under way from 3pm and the men’s getting going at 6.30pm, live on Sky Sports Cricket.
Watch every match across the women’s and men’s competitions in The Hundred live on Sky Sports until August 31.
