Trent Rockets secured a comprehensive victory over Welsh Fire, handing the hosts their inaugural defeat of the season in The Hundred. The match, played at the historic Sophia Gardens, saw the Rockets chase down a modest target of 123 runs with 28 balls to spare, thanks largely to Ben Duckett’s unbeaten 52, which anchored the successful run chase.
The Rockets’ innings did not start smoothly; early overs were marked by a lack of fluidity, while the Fire bowlers struggled with discipline, conceding a total of four free‑hits in the powerplay and seven across their spell. Duckett opened the chase and, after a cautious start that yielded just a single boundary in his first four deliveries, he joined Finn Allen, who contributed 33 runs. Together they pushed the score to 42 for no loss after 25 balls, setting a solid foundation without raising any alarms.
Allen’s aggressive intent soon took shape. He ripped off 17 runs off Sam Cook’s first five balls, accelerating the run rate and putting pressure on the Fire’s under‑whelming attack. The partnership between Duckett and Allen surged to 75 runs before Allen fell lbw to his fellow New Zealander Rachin Ravindra for 33.
Duckett, now partnered by Tom Banton, continued his march, reaching a second consecutive half‑century in just 42 balls. His composed knock helped the Rockets claim their second win from three matches, moving them up to second place in the league table. Welsh Fire, having been asked to bat first, stumbled early, ending their powerplay at 26 for two. Phil Salt and Joe Root were dismissed for five runs each, both victims of Matt Henry’s disciplined seam bowling (2‑16).
After a brief resurgence that saw the Fire reach 59 for two at the halfway mark, they quickly lost three wickets in the next 14 balls, including the well‑set Matt Short, who was out for 36 off 26 deliveries. Jordan Cox attempted to revive the innings by launching three consecutive sixes off Mitchell Santner’s left‑arm spin, only to be caught spectacularly on the cover boundary by a diving Finn Allen while going for a fourth six. The Fire’s tail‑end collapsed, finishing on 122 for seven, with Asa Tribe (13 not out) and Chris Woakes (4 not out) unable to find the boundary against the final overs of Mohammad Amir and Lewis Gregory.
The target proved straightforward for the Rockets, who comfortably chased it down and solidified their position in the standings. Ben Duckett, named the Meerkat Match Hero, praised the bowlers for their adaptability to the pitch and highlighted the advantage of the four free‑hits awarded to the Fire.
He admitted to struggling with rhythm early on but noted that Finn Allen’s aggressive batting and Tom Banton’s support eased the pressure. In a separate fixture, twenty‑year‑old Lhuan‑dre Pretorius delivered a spectacular performance for London Spirit, smashing 64 runs off just 28 balls to steer his side to a seven‑wicket victory over MI London in a fiercely contested London derby. Chasing 165, Pretorius and Jonny Bairstow exploded off the blocks, with Pretorius striking a massive six that flew 106 metres over mid‑wicket, clearing the ropes seven times in total. The pair accelerated the Spirit’s scoring, reaching 50 runs in just 18 balls and ending the powerplay at 61 for no loss, effectively dismantling the opposition’s early plans.
Bairstow was dismissed for 23 off 12 balls, but Pretorius kept the momentum alive, reaching his maiden Hundred half‑century in just 23 deliveries. He was eventually caught by Trent Boult when the Spirit were 101 for two, just before the innings’ halfway point, but his earlier onslaught had already set the tone.
Dewald Brevis added a quickfire 37 not out from 18 balls, ensuring the Spirit secured the win with 11 balls remaining, marking their first victory of the season and lifting them out of the bottom of the table. MI London’s innings had lacked the same explosive start. Will Jacks (65) and James Vince (26) faced disciplined bowling from David Willey (0‑22) and Adam Milne (0‑21), reaching only 28 for no loss at the close of the powerplay. 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 fell to James Coles for 26 and Jamie Overton (3‑30) dismissed both Jacks and newcomer Nicholas Pooran in quick succession. Jacks eventually departed for a crisp 65 off 44 balls, becoming the highest run‑scorer in the history of The Hundred men’s competition. Overton continued to apply pressure, removing Jason Roy (caught behind on review) as MI London brought in veteran Sam Curran, who had missed the match due to a precautionary muscle tightness issue. Sherfane Rutherford’s late‑stage hitting pushed MI London past the 160‑run mark, but his dismissal for 41 off 19 balls left the hosts with a target that seemed daunting.
Pretorius’s power hitting ultimately proved decisive, as his 64‑run blitz dismantled the required run rate and secured the Spirit’s place in the competition. In his post‑match interview, Pretorius expressed satisfaction with the win, crediting a specific training session with batting coach Dinesh Karthik that focused on a particular shot over short‑fine and fine‑leg, which paid dividends during the chase. Looking ahead, Southern Brave will host Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday, with both the women's and men's matches broadcast live on Sky Sports. The women's game kicks off at 3 pm, followed by the men’s fixture at 6:30 pm, offering fans another exciting weekend of The Hundred action.