Ben Duckett delivered another impressive half‑century while Mohammad Amir claimed vital wickets in the closing stages, enabling the Trent Rockets to cling to the top of The Hundred standings with a narrow five‑run triumph over the SunRisers Leeds at Trent Bridge. Choosing to bat first, the Rockets exploded out of the gates thanks to the debutant Aneurin Donald, who was drafted into the side for his inaugural match of the tournament.
Coming in at number three, Donald unleashed a blistering 40‑run cameo off just 19 balls, punctuated by three sixes that gave the team a flying start and temporarily pushed the in‑form Duckett into a supporting role. When Donald was dismissed, Duckett assumed the mantle. He compiled a swift 64 from 47 deliveries, marking his third fifty of the campaign and, in doing so, overtook Phil Salt to become the leading run‑scorer in the men’s Hundred competition. His innings featured a 50‑run partnership with Tim David, built in just 35 balls before Duckett fell to Nathan Ellis, who trapped him with a bowled dismissal after the batsman again mistimed a scoop shot – the second consecutive innings in which that particular stroke proved costly.
David, after a tentative start of 17 off 20 balls, found his rhythm and finished strongly, dispatching a boundary off Matt Potts to help the Rockets post a total of 146 for 4. 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 1 at the close of the powerplay. Crawley accelerated against the spin of Calvin Harrison and Mitchell Santner but was eventually out‑foxed by the Kiwi bowler, falling for 26.
Harry Brook entered the fray with his characteristic aggression, racing to 24 off just 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 30 from the final 16 balls. Brook was then superbly caught by Duckett at extra cover off Amir’s delivery, departing on 46.
Amir followed by trapping Marsh behind for 41, leaving the SunRisers needing 25 runs from the last ten balls. Matt Henry bowled an economical spell, conceding only nine runs in the penultimate five‑ball segment, and Lewis Gregory held his nerve to defend the final five deliveries, conceding just 16 runs and securing the win for the Rockets. Reflecting on his performance, Duckett, crowned the Meerkat Match Hero, told Sky Sports Cricket: "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. 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 encounter, Rashid Khan achieved his maiden five‑wicket haul in The Hundred, complementing a ferocious display of power‑hitting from Will Jacks and Nicholas Pooran as MI London secured a 45‑run victory over the Manchester Super Giants at the Kia Oval, propelling the home side to second place in the table. Batting first, Jacks adopted a mission‑focused approach, blasting MI London to their highest powerplay total of the season. He rattled off 34 runs from his first 18 balls, launching four fours and sending the scoreboard to 45 for 0 after 25 deliveries. Coming in at number three, Pooran continued the onslaught, opening his innings with a six off Liam Dawson and soon joining Jacks in a rapid partnership.
Jacks reached his half‑century in just 28 balls, finishing on 62 from 31, while MI London stood at 109 for 2 with 40 balls remaining. Pooran and Sam Curran then displayed a menacing partnership, adding 44 runs in 23 balls before Curran was stumped by Jos Buttler off Noor Ahmad.
Unfazed, Pooran surged ahead, hitting six, six, four off Gus Atkinson to reach a fifty off just 25 balls. Trinidadian bowler Josh Tongue claimed Pooran’s wicket for 54 from 28 balls, ending with figures of 2‑13. MI London concluded their innings at 183 for 6 – their highest total of the current campaign.
Chasing a daunting target, Aiden Markram launched the Super Giants’ innings with a blistering 38 off 17 balls, propelling them to 55 for 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. After reaching his own fifty from 25 balls, Markram was caught, leaving the Super Giants three down and still requiring 110 runs from 55 balls.
Khan continued his spell, removing Heinrich Klaasen and Tom Moores in quick succession, and then claimed his fifth wicket by trapping Liam Dawson, finishing with an impressive 5‑17. The Super Giants, hampered by the loss of wickets, could only muster 138, but despite the defeat they remain in contention for a place in The Hundred Eliminator. Rashid Khan, also dubbed a Meerkat Match Hero, explained his performance to 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 underscore the intensity of The Hundred as teams vie for playoff positions, with the tournament set to culminate in the finals on Sunday, August 16.
Fans can follow every game, including the climactic finals, on NOW without a contract, and stay updated via Sky Sports' various platforms for the latest news, videos, and analysis.