Ben Duckett delivered another impressive half‑century and, together with crucial late breakthroughs from Mohammad Amir, helped the Trent Rockets maintain their position at the summit of The Hundred standings with a narrow five‑run triumph over the SunRisers Leeds at Trent Bridge. Choosing to bat first, the Rockets enjoyed a blistering start thanks to debutant Aneurin Donald, who was drafted into the side for his inaugural tournament match. Coming in at number three, Donald unleashed a rapid 40‑run cameo off just 19 balls, peppering the attack with three sixes and setting a brisk tempo that forced an in‑form Duckett to adopt a supporting role. When Donald was eventually dismissed, Duckett seized the initiative.
He compiled a 64‑run innings from 47 deliveries, marking his third fifty of the campaign and, in the process, overtaking Phil Salt to become the leading run‑scorer in the men’s Hundred competition. Duckett’s knock featured a 50‑run partnership with Tim David, built in just 35 balls. Duckett’s dismissal came via a bowled delivery from Nathan Ellis after he mistimed a scoop shot for the second consecutive innings, a reminder of the fine margins in the format.
Tim David, after a modest start of 17 runs off 20 balls, finished strongly, dispatching Matt Potts for a boundary and helping the Rockets post a total of 146 for four. In response, SunRisers opened their chase with Mitchell Marsh looking dominant. He partnered with Zak Crawley, and the pair steered the side to 32 for one at the conclusion of the powerplay.
Crawley accelerated against the spin of Calvin Harrison and Mitchell Santner but was eventually trapped by Santner’s guile, falling for 26. Harry Brook then arrived at the crease with his characteristic aggression, racing to 24 runs from 14 balls before Sam Billings missed a chance behind the stumps. Both Brook and Marsh slowed after their explosive starts, leaving the required run rate to drop to 30 runs from the final 16 balls. Brook was eventually caught spectacularly 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 needing 25 runs from the last 10 balls. Matt Henry bowled a tight spell, conceding just nine runs in the penultimate five‑ball segment, and Lewis Gregory defended the final five deliveries impeccably, allowing only 16 runs and securing the Rockets' five‑run victory.
After the match, Duckett, hailed as the Meerkat Match Hero on Sky Sports Cricket, praised Donald’s powerplay contribution: "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 also reflected on his own innings, noting the challenging conditions: "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 recorded his maiden five‑wicket haul in The Hundred, complementing a powerful display from Will Jacks and Nicholas Pooran as MI London secured a 45‑run win over Manchester Super Giants at the Kia Oval, propelling the home side into second place on the table. Batting first, Jacks approached his innings with purpose, delivering MI London’s highest powerplay total of the season.
He struck 34 runs from his first 18 balls, hitting four fours, and helped the side reach 45 for no loss after 25 deliveries. At number three, Pooran opened his account with a six off Liam Dawson and continued the onslaught, reaching a half‑century in just 28 balls, including a maximum off Noor Ahmad, before falling for 62 off 31 balls. MI London were 109 for two with 40 balls remaining. Nicholas Pooran and Sam Curran then displayed aggressive intent, adding 44 runs in 23 balls before Curran was stumped by Jos Buttler off Ahmad.
Pooran, unfazed, continued to hammer the ball, reaching 50 from 25 balls with a sequence of six, six, four off Gus Atkinson. Trinidadian bowler Josh Tongue claimed Pooran’s wicket for 54 from 28 balls, finishing with figures of 2‑13. MI London posted a total of 183 for six, their highest score of the campaign.
Chasing a daunting target, Aiden Markram opened for the Super Giants with intent, blasting 38 runs from 17 balls and taking the side to 55 for no loss. However, Rashid Khan struck back, removing Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler for 17 and 2 respectively, the latter caught on the leg‑side boundary by Nathan Sowter. After reaching his own fifty from 25 balls, Markram was dismissed, caught by Curran at mid‑wicket, leaving the Super Giants three wickets down and still needing 110 runs from 55 balls.
Khan then turned the match decisively in MI London’s favour, dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and Tom Moores in successive deliveries, and later trapping Dawson for his fifth wicket, ending with remarkable figures of 5‑17. The Super Giants could only muster 138 runs, but despite the loss they remain in contention for a spot in The Hundred Eliminator. Rashid Khan, also 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 makes a difference, but it's about hitting the right area consistently and making it as hard as possible for the batters." Fans can follow every match of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday, August 16, with live streaming available on NOW, and stay updated via Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest news, videos, and analysis.