Ben Duckett delivered another impressive half-century and, together with timely wickets from Mohammad Amir, helped the Trent Rockets secure a narrow five‑run triumph over the SunRisers Leeds at Trent Bridge, keeping them firmly atop The Hundred standings. The Rockets elected to bat first and enjoyed a blistering start thanks to debutant Aneurin Donald, who slotted three sixes in a rapid 19‑ball, 40‑run cameo from the No 3 position. Donald's aggressive display set the tone and allowed a in‑form Duckett to settle into the innings without immediate pressure. When Donald was dismissed, Duckett assumed control.
He crafted a 35‑ball half‑century, his third of the campaign, and in doing so overtook Phil Salt to become the leading run‑scorer in the men’s Hundred competition. Duckett and Tim David forged a 50‑run partnership in just 35 deliveries before Duckett was bowled by Nathan Ellis for 64 off 47 balls. The dismissal came after Duckett mistimed a scoop shot for the second consecutive innings, highlighting a rare vulnerability in an otherwise dominant performance.
Tim David, after a modest start of 17 runs from 20 balls, finished strongly, lofting the ball over the fence off Matt Potts to help the Rockets post a total of 146‑4. The innings was punctuated by a reminder to viewers to use Chrome for the best video experience, a note that appeared several times in the original broadcast.
In response, SunRisers began their chase with Mitchell Marsh in commanding form, joined by Zak Crawley. The pair propelled the side to 32‑1 at the end of the powerplay, capitalising on the long‑levered right‑handers' ability to find the gaps. Crawley accelerated against the spin of Calvin Harrison and Mitchell Santner but was eventually out‑witted by the Kiwi bowler, falling for 26. Harry Brook then walked to the crease with his trademark aggression, racing to 24 runs from just 14 balls.
A missed chance by Sam Billings behind the stumps gave Brook a lifeline, but both he and Marsh slowed after their explosive starts, leaving the required run rate to climb. Brook was eventually caught brilliantly by Duckett at extra cover off Amir’s delivery for 46, while Amir later dismissed Marsh, caught behind by Billings for 41. This left SunRisers needing 25 runs from the final ten balls. Matt Henry bowled an economical spell, conceding only nine runs in the penultimate five‑ball set, and Lewis Gregory sealed the victory for the Rockets by defending the final 16 runs in the last five deliveries.
After the match, Duckett, hailed as the Meerkat Match Hero on Sky Sports Cricket, praised Donald’s powerplay contribution and reflected on his own innings: "It was sweeping today. I was struggling to play straight and knew there would be spin in the middle. I was trying to trust my game that I would be able to catch up. On another day, that doesn't happen, but thankfully today it did." In a separate fixture, MI London recorded a dominant 45‑run win over the Manchester Super Giants at the Kia Oval, a result that lifted the home side to second place in the table.
Rashid Khan achieved his maiden five‑wicket haul in The Hundred, complementing a blistering display of power hitting by Will Jacks and Nicholas Pooran. Asked to bat first, Jacks attacked from the outset, delivering a 34‑run burst off his first 18 balls, which included four boundaries and propelled MI London to 45‑0 after 25 deliveries – the team’s highest powerplay total of the season.
At No 3, Pooran continued the onslaught, opening his innings with a six off Liam Dawson and later reaching a 28‑ball half‑century, capped by a maximum off Noor Ahmad. Jacks fell for 62 off 31 balls, leaving the side at 109‑2 with 40 balls remaining. Nicholas Pooran and Sam Curran then added 44 runs in just 23 balls, with Curran eventually being stumped by Jos Buttler off Ahmad. Pooran remained unfazed, dispatching sixes and fours off Gus Atkinson to hit his own fifty from 25 balls.
The Trinidadian all‑rounder, Josh Tongue, claimed Pooran’s wicket for 54 from 28 balls, finishing with figures of 2‑13. MI London concluded their innings at 183‑6, the highest total they have posted this season. Chasing a formidable target, Super Giants opener Aiden Markram launched an aggressive powerplay, smashing 38 runs from 17 balls and taking the score to 55‑0. However, Rashid Khan turned the tide, removing Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler for 17 and 2 respectively, the latter caught on the leg‑side boundary by Nathan Sowter.
After Markram reached his own fifty from 25 balls, he was dismissed, leaving the Super Giants three wickets down with 110 runs still required from 55 balls. Khan continued his spellbinding performance, dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and Tom Moores in consecutive deliveries, and later claiming his fifth wicket by trapping Liam Dawson leg‑before‑wicket. He finished with impressive figures of 5‑17, effectively ending the Super Giants’ chase at 138 runs.
Despite the loss, Manchester remains in contention for a place in the Hundred Eliminator. Reflecting on his breakthrough haul, Rashid Khan told Sky Sports Cricket: "I needed those wickets. I'd had a bit of a quiet tournament overall. I just tried my best to keep things simple and hit the right area consistently and I got the results.
Runs on the board makes a difference, but it's about hitting the right area consistently and making it as hard as possible for the batters." Both matches underline the high‑octane nature of The Hundred, where explosive batting, strategic spin, and disciplined death‑over bowling combine to produce nail‑biting finishes. Fans can continue to follow the tournament through to the finals on Sunday, 16 August, with live streaming available on NOW without any contractual obligations.