Trent Rockets secured a comfortable victory over Welsh Fire, handing the hosts their inaugural defeat of the campaign in The Hundred at Sophia Gardens. The chase was straightforward: the Rockets chased down a modest target of 123 runs with 28 balls remaining, thanks largely to an unbeaten 52 from Ben Duckworth, who anchored the innings.
The opening overs of the Rockets' pursuit were anything but smooth. Fire’s bowlers were erratic, conceding four wides in the powerplay and a total of seven extras throughout the innings, which eased the pressure on the batting side.
Duckworth, who faced the first four deliveries, managed only a single boundary early on, yet he and fellow opener Finn Allen (who contributed 33) pushed the score to 42 for no loss after 25 balls, showing no sign of panic. Allen soon turned the momentum in his favour, hammering 17 runs off Sam Cook’s first five balls. The pair continued to dominate an uninspired Fire attack, taking the total to 75 before Allen was dismissed lbw by compatriot Rachin Ravindra for 33.
Duckworth, now joined by Tom Banton (31), pressed on, reaching his second consecutive half‑century – this time from just 42 balls – as the Rockets moved to two wins from three matches, climbing to second place in the standings. Welsh Fire, who had been forced to bat first, stumbled through their powerplay, slipping to 26 for 2. Early wickets fell as Phil Salt and Joe Root were each dismissed for five runs, the latter falling to Matt Henry’s disciplined spell of 2‑16.
After reaching 59 for 2 at the midway point, Fire attempted to accelerate but lost three wickets in the next 14 balls, including a well‑timed dismissal of Matt Short, who had been cruising at 36 from 26 deliveries. Jordan Cox tried to revive the innings, dispatching three consecutive sixes off Mitchell Santner’s left‑arm spin, but his ambition was cut short when he attempted a fourth six and was caught spectacularly on the cover boundary by a diving Allen. The innings collapsed further, with Asa Tribe (13 not out) and Chris Woakes (4 not out) unable to find the fence against the likes of Mohammad Amir and Lewis Gregory, leaving Fire all out for 122‑7.
The modest total proved far below what the Rockets required. Duckworth’s measured innings, bolstered by aggressive support from Finn Allen and Tom Banton, ensured the chase was completed with ease. After the win, Duckworth praised the bowlers for adapting quickly to the pitch, noting that the four wides they had earned proved crucial.
He admitted that finding a rhythm early in the innings had been challenging, but highlighted the impact of Allen’s power hitting and Banton’s calm presence at the crease. In a separate match, twenty‑year‑old Lhuan‑dre Pretorius lit up the competition for London Spirit, smashing 64 runs off just 28 balls to guide his side to a seven‑wicket victory over MI London in a fiercely contested London derby. Chasing a target of 165, Pretorius and Jonny Bairstow started explosively, with Pretorius dispatching a Trent Boult delivery for a towering six that travelled 106 metres over mid‑wicket. The opening partnership raced to 61‑0 without loss, delivering the Spirit’s first 50 runs in just 18 balls and effectively dismantling the opposition’s early plans.
Bairstow fell for 23 off 12 balls, but Pretorius kept the onslaught alive, reaching his maiden Hundred half‑century from 23 deliveries and striking seven boundaries in the process. He was eventually bowled by Boult when the score stood at 101, just before the midway point of the Spirit’s innings, but his earlier onslaught had already set a daunting platform.
Dewald Brevis added a quickfire 37 not out from 18 balls, sealing the win with 11 balls to spare and lifting London Spirit out of the bottom of the table. MI London’s innings had been less explosive. Will Jacks (65) and James Vince (26) attempted to steady the ship against disciplined spells from David Willey (0‑22) and Adam Milne (0‑21), reaching only 28‑0 at the close of the powerplay.
Their patience was rewarded as they built momentum against Adam Zampa and Andrew Tye, with Jacks cruising to his half‑century from 30 balls. However, the tide turned when Vince was dismissed by James Coles for 26, and Jamie Overton (3‑30) promptly removed both Jacks and newcomer Nicholas Pooran in quick succession. Jacks eventually fell for a handsome 65 off 44 balls, becoming the highest run‑scorer in the history of the men's Hundred competition.
Overton continued to apply pressure, dismissing Jason Roy (caught behind on review) and forcing the MI London side to rely on veteran Sam Curran, who sat out the match due to a precautionary muscle issue. Late hitting from Sherfane Rutherford pushed MI London past the 160‑run mark, but his 41 off 19 balls could not offset Pretorius’s devastating strike rate. The Spirit’s chase remained comfortable, and Pretorius’s power hitting proved decisive. Both Duckworth and Pretorius were celebrated as Meerkat Match Heroes on Sky Sports Cricket, where they reflected on their performances.
Duckworth highlighted the importance of early adaptation to pitch conditions and the advantage provided by the free hits, while Pretorius expressed satisfaction with the win and credited a specific training session with batting coach Dinesh Karthik for refining a shot that proved instrumental during the chase. Looking ahead, Southern Brave will host Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday, with the women’s fixture at 3 p.m.
followed by the men’s game at 6.30 p.m., both broadcast live on Sky Sports. Fans can also stream The Hundred and additional content on the NOW platform.