Trent Rockets secured a comprehensive victory over Welsh Fire, handing the hosts their inaugural defeat of the season in The Hundred during a dominant display at Sophia Gardens. The Rockets chased down a modest target of 123 runs with 28 balls remaining, thanks largely to Ben Duckworth's unbeaten 52, which anchored the successful run chase. The opening phase of the Rockets' innings was anything but smooth; however, the Fire's bowling unit struggled with discipline, conceding four free hits during the powerplay and a total of seven extras throughout their spell. Duckworth, who opened the innings, managed just one boundary in his first four deliveries, yet he and fellow opener Finn Allen (who contributed 33) managed to steer the side to a comfortable 42 for no loss after 25 balls, showing little sign of panic.
Allen, known for his aggressive style, quickly accelerated the scoring rate, ripping 17 runs off Sam Cook's first five balls. The duo continued to dominate an uninspired Fire attack, pushing the total to 75 before Allen was dismissed leg‑before‑wicket by fellow Kiwi Rachin Ravindra for 33. Duckworth, now partnered with Tom Banton (who added 31), pressed on, and Duckworth reached a second consecutive half‑century, this time from just 42 balls, guiding the Rockets to a second win from three matches and moving them up to second place in the standings. Welsh Fire, who had elected to bat first, concluded their powerplay at 26 for 2, losing Phil Salt and Joe Root for five runs each to the incisive seam bowling of Matt Henry, who recorded figures of 2‑16.
After reaching 59 for 2 at the halfway mark, Fire attempted to rebuild but lost three wickets in the next 14 balls, including the well‑set Matt Short, who had made 36 from 26 deliveries. Jordan Cox (33) briefly revived the innings by dispatching three consecutive sixes off Mitchell Santner's left‑arm spin, only to be caught spectacularly on the cover boundary by a diving Allen while attempting a fourth six.
The Fire eventually limped to 122 for 7, with lower‑order contributions from Asa Tribe (13 not out) and Chris Woakes (4 not out) failing to generate momentum against the bowling of Mohammad Amir and Lewis Gregory in the final overs. Their total proved insufficient as the Rockets comfortably chased it down, securing their second win and climbing the table. Match hero Ben Duckworth reflected on the win, saying, "The bowlers were superb.
We talked about adapting to the pitch early, and they deserve massive credit for this victory. My aim was to get through the powerplay and then it became easier.
Having Finn Allen at the other end hitting hard made a huge difference. The four free hits helped a lot, but honestly I struggled to find rhythm throughout the innings. Finn played beautifully and Banton took the pressure off me." In a separate fixture, twenty‑year‑old Lhuan‑dre Pretorius delivered a stunning performance for London Spirit, smashing 64 runs off just 28 balls to guide his side to a seven‑wicket triumph over MI London in a fiercely contested London derby.
Chasing a target of 165, Pretorius and Jonny Bairstow exploded out of the gates, with Pretorius dispatching Trent Boult for a colossal six that travelled an estimated 106 metres over mid‑wicket. The opening pair reached 50 runs in just 18 balls and closed the powerplay at 61 for 0, effectively dismantling the opposition's plans. Bairstow was dismissed for 23 off 12 balls, but Pretorius continued the onslaught, reaching his first Hundred half‑century from 23 balls and striking seven boundaries in total.
He fell to Boult at 101 runs, just before the halfway point of the Spirit's innings, but his aggressive start had already set the tone. Dewald Brevis added a quickfire 37 not out from 18 balls, ensuring the Spirit secured their first win of the season with 11 balls to spare. MI London’s innings had been more measured.
Will Jacks (65) and James Vince (26) faced disciplined bowling from David Willey (0‑22) and Adam Milne (0‑21), ending the powerplay at a modest 28 for 0. Their patience paid off as they accelerated against Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye, with Jacks reaching his half‑century off 30 balls.
However, the tide turned when Vince was dismissed by James Coles for 26 and Jamie Overton (3‑30) removed both Jacks and newcomer Nicholas Pooran in quick succession. Jacks eventually departed for a brilliant 65 from 44 balls, becoming the highest run‑scorer in the history of The Hundred men's competition. Overton continued the Spirit’s resurgence, dismissing Jason Roy (caught behind on review) as the veteran returned to the MI London side in place of captain Sam Curran, who sat out due to a precautionary muscle tightness issue.
Late‑order hitting from Sherfane Rutherford pushed MI London past the 160‑run mark, but his 41 off 19 balls could not offset Pretorius’s explosive assault, which ultimately secured the Spirit’s victory and kept them in contention. Pretorius, named the Meerkat Match Hero, shared his thoughts: "I'm glad we got over the line. It's really good to get off the mark and hopefully we can carry this momentum forward. I spent a lot of time at training yesterday working with DK (batting coach Dinesh Karthik) on that shot over short‑fine and fine‑leg, and it paid off.
It also got me out, but that's part of the game. I'm happy I could contribute to the win." The upcoming schedule sees Southern Brave hosting Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday, with the women's match slated for 3 pm followed by the men's game at 6:30 pm, both broadcast live on Sky Sports.
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