The Trent Rockets continued to pull away at the summit of The Hundred standings with a near‑flawless display that earned them their fifth win in six matches, while the Birmingham Phoenix found themselves entrenched at the foot of the table. Sam Billings anchored the chase with an unbeaten 31, guiding the Rockets to a comfortable finish after Phoenix stumbled to 111 for 6 despite a half‑century from Joe Clarke. In a parallel story, Manchester Super Giants captain Jos Buttler etched his name into the record books, becoming the all‑time leading run‑scorer in Twenty20 cricket. The match began with the Rockets opting to field first.
Early on, Will Smeed made history of a different sort – he became the first player in The Hundred to finish a powerplay unbeaten without having scored a run. The powerplay produced just 25 runs for the Rockets, and the early wicket of Mitch Owen fell to Mohammad Amir, who was forced to leave the field with a hamstring strain immediately after claiming the dismissal.
Smeed’s innings ended quickly, falling for six off just 16 deliveries. The visitors appeared tentative against a disciplined bowling attack that was anchored by the spin duo Calvin Harrison and Mitch Santner, with fast‑bowler Lewis Gregory also making a significant impact. Phoenix’s only bright spot was Joe Clarke, the side’s leading run‑getter this season, who broke through the pressure to score a brisk 62 off 47 balls, including a half‑century reached in just 37 deliveries.
Clarke’s knock was the fourth of Craig Overton’s catches, which set a new competition record for the most catches taken by a single bowler in a match. Apart from Laurie Evans, who managed to get into double figures, the rest of the Phoenix batting line‑up could not muster momentum, limping to a modest 111 for 6 from their allotted 100 balls.
When Amir departed, Rockets captain Sam Billings shuffled his bowlers with tactical acumen, keeping the hunt for a fourth consecutive Hundred title alive. In reply, the Rockets’ openers Ben Duckett and Finn Allen steadied the ship, cruising to 29 for no loss at the end of the powerplay. Mystery spinner Usman Tariq removed Duckett for 22, delivering a tight spell that yielded just six runs from his first ten balls. Nevertheless, the total on the board remained low; 113 would become the lowest score ever successfully defended in the men’s Hundred competition.
The middle overs saw Nye Donald provide a brief burst of aggression with a six‑ball 17, before Allen and Billings rotated the strike at a rate of roughly a run a ball. Two back‑to‑back sixes from Billings off Saqib Mahmood – one a flamboyant slog sweep – accelerated the innings, and the finish was sealed when Allen was caught by Tariq at short mid‑on for 28, leaving the Rockets needing just six more runs. Billings struck another six, and the Rockets clinched victory with 17 balls to spare, positioning themselves comfortably with two games remaining and smoothing their path toward the final.
Gregory reflected on the day’s performance: "Our bowling was outstanding; we kept chipping away at the opposition with crucial wickets. The conditions offered variable bounce, so we focused on hitting the top of the stumps hard.
The top order has been fantastic, and we are in a great position playing exciting cricket. We hope to maintain this momentum." Meanwhile, the Manchester Super Giants, after three consecutive defeats, finally secured a vital win over Welsh Fire at an overcast Emirates Old Trafford, keeping their qualification hopes alive. Half‑centuries from Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler propelled the Giants to a commanding victory with 31 balls remaining. Seifert commented, "We aimed to get a strong start and keep the run rate up.
It was great to see Buttler in form at the other end. This win gives us a confidence boost ahead of the next two big games." The Giants moved onto 12 points, narrowing the gap to the Fire to just four points with two matches left for each side. The win came despite the absence of captain Aiden Markram, who returned to South Africa for personal reasons.
Buttler assumed the captaincy, and Paul Walter filled Markram’s spot at the top of the order, meaning the Giants fielded only three overseas players. In the Fire’s innings, the team elected to bat first and stumbled to 4 for 0 after the opening ten balls, with Josh Tongue delivering a maiden spell of five dot balls. Spin was introduced early, and Liam Dawson’s delivery saw Matt Short dropped almost immediately. The openers steadied the ship, reaching 76 at the halfway point and eventually forging the first ever century partnership in the men’s Fire history after 70 balls.
Short was particularly ruthless on Noor Ahmad, conceding 34 runs from 15 balls, while Sonny Baker proved even more expensive. Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue bowled effectively, with Tongue finally breaking the partnership at 125 after 83 balls by dismissing Phil Salt for 48. Short went on to score a rapid 71 off 47 balls, but the Fire’s total settled at a competitive 155, bolstered by a late cameo from Rachin Ravindra. When the Super Giants began their chase, Sam Cook proved unusually expensive, but openers Tim Seifert and Paul Walter took to the Essex seamers Chris Woakes and Lockie Ferguson with confidence, racing to 53 without loss in the powerplay.
Walter contributed 37 runs before the home side were 104 for 1 after 50 balls, aided by three no‑balls in six deliveries from Ferguson, which provided a significant boost. Buttler, after a cautious start, shifted into full attack mode, striking Marco Jansen for a six that took his career total past Kieron Pollard’s 14,803 runs, making him the all‑time leading scorer in Twenty20 cricket. He celebrated the milestone with a pair of boundary‑clearing hits, then continued to hammer successive sixes, reaching a 20‑ball half‑century and steering his side to a comfortable win.
Looking ahead, after a packed Wednesday featuring four games, Thursday will return to a single double‑header, highlighted by a capital‑city derby as the London Spirit women host MI London at 3 p.m., followed by the men’s clash at 6:30 p.m. Both fixtures will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Fans can watch every match of The Hundred up to the finals on Sunday, 16 August, with streaming available on NOW without a contract.