Trent Rockets are relying on a favour from Manchester Super Giants after a six-match winning run was ended by Southern Brave at Trent Bridge to deny them direct progress to Sunday’s final.
The league leaders must now await the outcome of second-placed SunRisers Leeds’ trip to Manchester Super Giants on Tuesday to discover whether they will have to go through an eliminator.
SunRisers can snatch top spot and a ticket straight to Lord’s with a win as their net run rate is superior to the Rockets’. But a Super Giants win would move them level on points with SunRisers on 20 and potentially even up to second with a big enough margin of victory.
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In the coin toss for the match between Trent Rockets and Southern Brave, the coin hit Chris Jordan’s shoe, forcing a retake!
South African Tristan Stubbs saw Brave home with three balls to spare after hitting 52 not out off 28 balls, but the game changed on Marcus Stoinis’ arrival at the crease with the score on 78-3 at halfway chasing 159 for victory.
The Australian dispatched his first three balls for six, four and six to signal his intent and his 46 off 25 changed the game.
The Rockets’ total of 158-5 was boosted by an unbroken stand of 66 in 39 balls between Mitchell Santner (35no) and Lewis Gregory (28no).
Prior to that opener Finn Allen (23 off 12) and Aneurin Donald (19 off nine) had created the early momentum.
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Trent Rockets’ Calvin Harrison and Finn Allen came together to catch Jamie Smith out with a fantastic team effort
Reflecting on Brave’s campaign, Stubbs said: “It’s been disappointing, but it’s a nice way to finish off. In hindsight it’s a bit frustrating.
“We gave it our all for the month but in the first three games we lost a couple of close ones and then it’s hard to get momentum.
“I think we’ve shown at the end what we can do but it took us a while to get there.”
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