Ben Duckett delivered another impressive half‑century and, together with timely wickets from Mohammad Amir, helped the Trent Rockets maintain their grip on the top spot in The Hundred standings with a narrow five‑run triumph over the SunRisers Leeds at Trent Bridge. Choosing to bat first, the Rockets enjoyed an explosive start thanks to the debut of Aneurin Donald, who was drafted into the side for his inaugural tournament appearance. Coming in at number three, Donald unleashed three sixes in a blistering 19‑ball effort that yielded 40 runs, effectively handing the early momentum to the batting side and allowing an in‑form Duckett to settle into a supporting role. When Donald’s wicket fell, Duckett assumed control of the innings.
He crafted a swift 64‑run knock off just 47 deliveries, marking his third fifty of the campaign and propelling him past Phil Salt to become the leading run‑scorer in the men’s Hundred competition. Duckett’s innings featured a 50‑run partnership with Tim David, built in just 35 balls before he was bowled by Nathan Ellis after mistiming a scoop shot for the second consecutive innings. David, who had struggled early with 17 runs from 20 balls, finished strongly, dispatching a boundary off Matt Potts and helping the Rockets close their innings at 146‑4.
In response, SunRisers opened their chase with Mitchell Marsh looking dominant. He partnered with Zak Crawley, and the pair guided the side to 32‑1 at the conclusion of the powerplay. Crawley accelerated against the spin of Calvin Harrison and Mitchell Santner but was eventually out‑foxed by the New Zealand bowler, falling for 26.
Harry Brook entered the crease with his trademark aggression, racing to 24 runs from just 14 balls before a missed chance by Sam Billings gave the Rockets a reprieve. Both Brook and Marsh slowed after their explosive starts, leaving the SunRisers needing 30 runs from the final 16 balls. Brook was then superbly caught by Duckett at extra cover off Amir’s delivery for 46, and Amir later removed Marsh, caught behind by Billings for 41.
This left SunRisers requiring 25 from the last 10 balls. Matt Henry bowled an economical spell, conceding only nine runs in the penultimate five‑ball segment, and Lewis Gregory finished the chase by defending the final five deliveries, allowing just 16 runs and sealing the Rockets’ five‑run victory.
After the match, Duckett, crowned the Meerkat Match Hero, praised Donald’s early on‑slaught: “Aneurin played extremely well in the powerplay, took a lot of pressure off me and got us off to a great start. Delighted with that win, it was a fantastic team effort.” He added, “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, Rashid Khan claimed his maiden five‑wicket haul in The Hundred as MI London defeated Manchester Super Giants by 45 runs at the Kia Oval, propelling the home side to second place on the table. Batting first, Will Jacks set the tone with a determined display, scoring 34 runs from his first 18 balls and hitting four fours to propel MI London to 45‑0 after 25 deliveries – their highest powerplay total of the season.
At number three, Nicholas Pooran opened his innings with a six off Liam Dawson and continued the onslaught, while Jacks reached a 28‑ball half‑century before being dismissed for 62 off 31 balls. MI London were 109‑2 with 40 balls remaining. Pooran and Sam Curran then combined for a rapid 44‑run partnership in just 23 balls. Curran was eventually stumped by Jos Buttler off Noor Ahmad, but Pooran kept the momentum, hitting a sequence of six, six, four off Gus Atkinson to reach a quickfire fifty from 25 balls.
Trinidadian bowler Josh Tongue claimed Pooran’s wicket for 54 runs from 28 balls, finishing with figures of 2‑13. MI London posted a formidable 183‑6, their highest total of the campaign.
In response, Aiden Markram launched the Super Giants’ chase with a blistering 38 off 17 balls, taking the score to 55‑0. However, Rashid Khan turned the tide, dismissing Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler for 17 and 2 respectively, the latter caught on the leg‑side boundary by Nathan Sowter. Markram, after reaching his own fifty from 25 balls, was caught by Sowter at mid‑wicket, leaving the Super Giants three down and still needing 110 runs from 55 balls.
Khan then struck twice more, removing Heinrich Klaasen and Tom Moores in consecutive deliveries, and later claimed his fifth wicket by trapping Dawson, ending with impressive figures of 5‑17. The Super Giants could only muster 138 runs, falling short but remaining in contention for a spot in the Hundred Eliminator. Rashid Khan, also named a Meerkat Match Hero, reflected on his performance: “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 make a difference, but it’s about hitting the right area consistently and making it as hard as possible for the batters.” Both matches underscore the competitive intensity of The Hundred as teams vie for playoff positions, with the Rockets and MI London demonstrating the blend of power hitting and disciplined bowling that defines this fast‑paced format. Fans can continue to follow the action through live streams on NOW and stay updated via Sky Sports’ coverage.