The Trent Rockets halted the Manchester Super Giants' flawless start to The Hundred with a commanding 31‑run win at Old Trafford Cricket Ground, a triumph anchored by solid half‑centuries from Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff and a decisive four‑wicket spell from Ash Gardner. Chasing a modest target of 154, the Super Giants stumbled almost immediately. On the seventh ball of their innings, the ever‑dangerous Smriti Mandhana was caught stumped for just four runs off a probing delivery from Samantha Bates. The early wicket set the tone, and the Giants soon found themselves precariously placed at 31 for three.
Meg Lanning, who had been denied much of the strike in the opening overs, finally asserted herself against Katie Levick's leg‑spin, playing a series of aggressive shots that hinted at a possible recovery. However, the momentum shifted dramatically when Ash Gardner broke through Lanning's resistance, dismissing her lbw for 35. That wicket left the Super Giants reeling at 89 for five, and Gardner was quick to capitalize on the pressure.
She turned the ball into a spectacular catch at long‑off, removing Kathryn Bryce, who had been contributing a useful 27 runs. The dismissal further destabilised the chase, and the Giants' hopes began to fade.
A brief resurgence was sparked by a flurry of boundaries from Maitlan Brown, who kept the scoreboard ticking and gave the Super Giants a glimmer of optimism. Yet that spark was extinguished when Brown was run‑out by Georgia Adams, a dismissal that effectively ended any realistic chance of a comeback. Gardner, already on a roll, completed her spell with figures of 4 for 16, sealing the victory for the Rockets.
The Rockets' innings had its own setbacks. Early on, they lost the prized wicket of Beth Mooney, who was bowled by Grace Ballinger after a mistimed pull shot that failed to lift. In the absence of Nat Sciver‑Brunt, who was sidelined with a calf injury, Sophie Luff stepped in at number three and, alongside Dunkley, took charge of the run chase. Luff displayed a blend of power and finesse, using her feet to guide the ball to Sophie Ecclestone for a leg‑side six and then targeting Bryce with a series of aggressive strokes that resulted in three consecutive fours.
Both batters then turned their attention to the opposing bowler Villiers, dispatching him for six over the mid‑wicket boundary. Their partnership blossomed, reaching a rapid 50 runs off just 33 balls. Sophie Luff celebrated her maiden half‑century in The Hundred, eventually being dismissed for 51 after a brief cameo.
Not to be outdone, Dunkley responded in kind, crafting a polished 57 before being caught at point off Ecclestone's bowling. Their combined effort propelled the Rockets past the 150‑run mark, a score that proved insurmountable for the Super Giants.
The match also featured several notable moments beyond the core action. The left‑arm spinner later removed Bess Heath for a duck, and Villiers was stumped for five by Gardner, illustrating the Rockets' all‑round dominance. Although the Super Giants fought valiantly, losing three wickets for just five runs in a late surge, they could not prevent the Rockets from posting a formidable total. Post‑match, Dunkley reflected on the conditions, noting, "I found the pitch a bit tricky.
It wasn't my best fluency. I tried to use the angles because I found it hard to hit down the ground." Her teammate Luff added, "Luffy was outstanding as well.
Just came in, got the momentum and us to a really good score." Looking ahead, the weekend promises a double‑header on Saturday, with Birmingham Phoenix hosting Welsh Fire. The women's fixture will kick off at 11:00 am, followed by the men's match at 2:30 pm.
Later that afternoon, at 2:30 pm, London Spirit will meet Southern Brave in a women's clash at Lord's, with the men's teams taking the field at 6:00 pm. Fans can continue to follow every game of The Hundred through to the finals scheduled for Sunday, August 16.
For those without a subscription, many matches are available contract‑free on NOW, while live coverage of both the men's and women's competitions runs on Sky Sports throughout the season, which spans from July 21 to August 16, 2026.