Trent Rockets secured a comprehensive victory over Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens, handing the hosts their inaugural defeat in The Hundred this campaign. The Rockets chased down a modest target of 123 runs with 28 balls to spare, propelled by an unbeaten 52 from Ben Duckett.
The chase got off to a shaky start, but the Fire’s bowling unit made several costly errors, conceding four wides in the powerplay and a total of seven free‑hits throughout the innings. Duckett, who faced the first four deliveries, managed only a single boundary early on, yet he and fellow opener Finn Allen (who contributed 33) steadied the innings, reaching 42 without loss after 25 balls. Allen soon turned the momentum in the Rockets' favour, hammering 17 runs off Sam Cook’s first five balls. The pair pushed the score to 75 before Allen fell lbw to fellow New Zealander Rachin Ravindra for 33.
Duckett, now joined by Tom Banton (31), continued to dominate, notching his second consecutive half‑century, this time from just 42 balls, and guiding the Rockets to a two‑win tally from three matches, lifting them to second place on the table. Welsh Fire, who had elected to bat first, stumbled early, ending their powerplay at 26 for 2.
Phil Salt and Joe Root were dismissed for five runs each, both victims of Matt Henry’s disciplined spell of 2‑16. After a brief recovery to 59 for 2 at the halfway point, the Fire lost three wickets in quick succession, including the well‑set Matt Short, who had been cruising at 36 from 26 balls. Jordan Cox attempted a counter‑attack, blasting three consecutive sixes off Mitchell Santner’s left‑arm spin, but was caught spectacularly on the cover boundary by a diving Allen while attempting a fourth.
The Fire eventually limped to 122 for 7, with Asa Tribe (13 not out) and Chris Woakes (4 not out) unable to find the boundary against the pace of Mohammad Amir and the accuracy of Lewis Gregory in the final overs. The Rockets’ chase proved routine, and their victory moved them up the standings. Ben Duckett was named the Meerkat Match Hero, praising the bowlers for adapting quickly to the pitch and acknowledging the advantage of four free‑hits, while admitting he struggled to find rhythm at times. He highlighted Finn Allen’s aggressive intent and Tom Banton’s support in easing the pressure.
In a separate fixture, 20‑year‑old Lhuan‑dre Pretorius delivered a blistering 64 off just 28 balls for London Spirit, steering them to a seven‑wicket win over MI London in a fiercely contested London derby. Chasing 165, Pretorius and Jonny Bairstow exploded out of the gate, with Pretorius dispatching Trent Boult for a towering six that travelled 106 metres over mid‑wicket. The duo raced to 50 in just 18 balls and closed the powerplay at 61‑0, effectively dismantling the opposition’s plans. Bairstow fell for 23 off 12 balls, but Pretorius kept the momentum alive, reaching his first Hundred half‑century in just 23 deliveries and striking seven boundaries.
He was dismissed by Boult on 101, just before the midway point of the Spirit’s innings, but the damage was already done. Dewald Brevis added a quickfire 37 not out from 18 balls, ensuring the Spirit secured their first win of the season with 11 balls remaining. MI London’s innings had begun more cautiously.
Will Jacks (65) and James Vince (26) navigated an early spell from David Willey (0‑22) and Adam Milne (0‑21), ending the powerplay at 28‑0. Their patience paid off as they accelerated against Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye, with Jacks reaching his own half‑century from 30 balls. However, the tide turned when Vince fell to James Coles for 26 and Jamie Overton (3‑30) removed both Jacks and newcomer Nicholas Pooran in quick succession.
Jacks’ 65 from 44 balls made him the highest run‑scorer in the history of the men's Hundred competition. Overton continued the Spirit’s resurgence, dismissing Jason Roy (caught behind on review) and prompting the veteran’s replacement of MI London captain Sam Curran, who sat out due to a precautionary muscle tightness. Sherfane Rutherford’s late hitting pushed MI London past the 160‑run mark, but his final burst of 41 from 19 balls could not offset Pretorius’s explosive assault.
Pretorius was later honoured as the Meerkat Match Hero, expressing satisfaction with the win and optimism for building on the momentum. He credited a training session with batting coach Dinesh Karthik, where he refined a shot over short‑fine and fine‑leg, a technique that proved decisive in the match.
Looking ahead, Southern Brave will host Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday, with the women’s match slated for 3 pm and the men’s encounter following at 6:30 pm, both broadcast live on Sky Sports. The Hundred continues to deliver high‑octane cricket, with teams vying for crucial points as the season progresses.