Ben Duckett delivered another impressive half-century and, together with 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 an explosive start thanks to debutant Aneurin Donald, who was drafted into the side for his inaugural tournament match.
Coming in at number three, Donald smashed three sixes in a rapid 19‑ball innings of 40 runs, handing the team a powerful platform and temporarily eclipsing the in‑form Duckett. When Donald was dismissed, Duckett assumed the mantle.
He compiled a brisk 64 off 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. Duckett’s innings featured a 50‑run partnership with Tim David, built in just 35 balls, before he fell to a delivery from Nathan Ellis after mistiming a scoop shot for the second consecutive innings.
David, after a tentative start of 17 off 20 balls, finished strongly, lofting a boundary off Matt Potts and helping the Rockets post a total of 146‑4. In response, SunRisers opened with Mitchell Marsh and Zak Crawley, who combined to steer the chase to 32‑1 at the close of the powerplay. Crawley accelerated against the spin of Calvin Harrison and Mitchell Santner but was eventually trapped by the crafty New Zealander, bowled for 26.
Harry Brook entered the fray with his trademark aggression, racing to 24 off 14 balls before a missed chance behind the stumps by Sam Billings. Both Brook and Marsh slowed after their explosive starts, leaving the required run rate at 30 from the final 16 balls. Brook was then caught spectacularly by Duckett at extra cover off Amir’s delivery for 46, and Amir later dismissed Marsh behind the wicket for 41, leaving SunRisers needing 25 from the last ten balls. Matt Henry bowled a tight penultimate spell, conceding just nine runs, and Lewis Gregory sealed the win by defending the final five deliveries, giving away only 16 runs and ensuring the Rockets held on for the five‑run margin.
After the match, Duckett, crowned 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 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 contest, MI London recorded a dominant 45‑run victory over the Manchester Super Giants at the Kia Oval, a result that propelled the home side to second place in the table. Rashid Khan claimed his maiden five‑wicket haul in The Hundred, complementing explosive batting displays from Will Jacks and Nicholas Pooran. Batting first, Jacks set an aggressive tone, blasting 34 runs from his first 18 balls with four boundaries and propelling MI London to 45‑0 after 25 deliveries – the highest powerplay score of their season. At number three, Pooran opened his innings with a six off Liam Dawson, establishing a brisk rhythm.
Jacks reached a half‑century in just 28 balls, hitting a maximum off Noor Ahmad before being dismissed for 62 off 31 balls, leaving MI London at 109‑2 with 40 balls remaining. Pooran and Sam Curran then combined for a rapid 44‑run partnership in 23 balls. Curran was stumped by Jos Buttler off Ahmad, but Pooran continued unabated, striking six, six, four off Gus Atkinson to reach a fifty from 25 balls. Trinidadian all‑rounder Nicholas Pooran was eventually bowled by Josh Tongue for 54 off 28 balls, while Tongue finished with economical figures of 2‑13.
MI London posted a formidable 183‑6, their highest total of the campaign. Chasing a steep target, the Super Giants began brightly, with Aiden Markram blasting 38 off 17 balls in the powerplay to take 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 reaching his own fifty from 25 balls, Markram was dismissed, having pulled Sowter to Sam Curran at mid‑wicket, leaving the visitors three down and still needing 110 runs from 55 balls.
Khan continued his spell, dismissing Heinrich Klaasen and Tom Moores in consecutive deliveries and later claiming his fifth wicket by trapping Liam Dawson. He finished with impressive figures of 5‑17, effectively sealing the match for MI London. The Super Giants were restricted to 138, but despite the defeat they remain in contention for a place in the Hundred Eliminator.
Rashid Khan, also honoured as 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." Both matches underline the high‑octane nature of The Hundred, where aggressive batting, sharp spin, and decisive death‑over bowling combine to produce thrilling finishes.
Fans can continue to follow the competition through to the finals on Sunday, August 16, with live streaming available on NOW and updates via Sky Sports channels.