The Trent Rockets continued to pull away at the summit of The Hundred standings with a dominant display that earned them their fifth triumph in six matches, while the Birmingham Phoenix found themselves stranded at the foot of the table. A composed 31‑run knock from Sam Billings, who remained not out, capped a methodical chase after Phoenix faltered at 111 for 6 despite a half‑century from Joe Clarke.
In the same fixture, Manchester Super Giants captain Jos Buttler etched his name into the record books by becoming the all‑time leading run‑scorer in the Twenty20 format. The match began with the Rockets electing to field, and an unusual piece of trivia emerged early on.
Will Smeed became the first player in Hundred history to finish the power‑play unbeaten without having added any runs to the scoreboard. The opening 25 runs of the innings were produced by the Rockets, but they soon lost Mitch Owen to a hamstring injury as Mohammad Amir claimed his wicket and was forced to leave the field with a strained hamstring of his own. Smeed’s innings was short‑lived; he was dismissed for six runs off 16 deliveries, and the visitors appeared tentative against a disciplined bowling attack that featured standout spells from spinners Calvin Harrison and Mitch Santner, as well as the all‑rounder Lewis Gregory.
The Rockets’ bowlers kept the pressure on, forcing the Phoenix batsmen into errors and limiting their scoring opportunities. Joe Clarke, who has been Phoenix’s most prolific scorer this season, managed to break free from the pressure. He reached a fifty in just 37 balls and eventually compiled 62 runs off 47 deliveries, becoming the fourth victim of Craig Overton’s safe hands – a series of catches that set a new competition record.
Apart from Clarke, only Laurie Evans managed to get into double figures, as the Phoenix were bundled out for a modest 111 for 6 from their allotted 100 balls. When Amir departed, Rocket captain Sam Billings skillfully rotated his bowlers, keeping the momentum alive as the team pursued a fourth consecutive Hundred title. Opening the Rockets’ innings, Ben Duckett and Finn Allen provided a steady start, taking the score to 29 for 0 at the end of the power‑play. Mystery spinner Usman Tariq claimed Duckett’s wicket for 22 runs and celebrated with his signature bow‑gesture, conceding just six runs from his first ten balls.
Despite the disciplined bowling, the Rockets posted a total of 113, which turned out to be the lowest score ever successfully defended in the men’s Hundred competition. The chase began with Nye Donald delivering a typical aggressive 17‑run burst over six balls before being dismissed. Allen and Billings then steadied the innings, rotating the strike at roughly a run a ball. Billings unleashed two sixes off Saqib Mahmood, including a flamboyant slog‑sweep, accelerating the run‑rate.
The finish was sealed when Allen was caught by Tariq at short mid‑on for 28, leaving the Rockets with just six runs required. Billings added another six to finish the game with 17 balls remaining, securing a comfortable victory and putting the Rockets in a strong position with two games left before the final, effectively smoothing their path to the championship.
Gregory reflected on the performance, saying, "Our bowling was superb. We kept chipping away with crucial wickets. The pitch offered a bit of variable bounce, but we focused on hitting the top of the stumps hard. The top order has been outstanding, and we’re playing fantastic cricket.
We hope to keep this momentum going." Meanwhile, the Manchester Super Giants, after three consecutive defeats, finally claimed a needed 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 decisive victory with 31 balls to spare.
Seifert commented, "We aimed to get a solid start and maintain the run‑rate. 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, just four behind the Fire with two matches remaining each. The Giants had to cope without their regular captain Aiden Markram, who returned to South Africa for personal reasons.
Buttler stepped in as stand‑in captain, and Paul Walter was promoted to open the batting, meaning the side featured only three overseas players. Welsh Fire won the toss and chose to bat, slipping to 4 for 0 after the first ten balls, with Josh Tongue delivering a maiden over of five dot balls. Spin entered the attack early, and Liam Dawson saw Matt Short dropped almost immediately. The Fire’s openers built a steady partnership, reaching 76 runs at the halfway mark.
Their 100‑run stand – the first century partnership in the men’s Fire history – was achieved after 70 balls. Short later struck aggressively, scoring 71 off 47 balls, while Rachin Ravindra added a late cameo to help Fire post a competitive total of 155. When the Super Giants began their innings, Sam Cook proved expensive, but the openers Tim Seifert and Paul Walter took to the pace of Essex seamer Chris Woakes and New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, racing to 53 without loss in the power‑play.
Walter contributed 37 runs, and the team was 104 for 1 after 50 balls, aided by three no‑balls in six deliveries from Ferguson. Buttler, after a cautious start, shifted into full attack mode.
He struck Marco Jansen for six, surpassing Kieron Pollard’s record of 14,803 runs to become the all‑time leading scorer in Twenty20 cricket. Buttler celebrated the milestone with consecutive sixes, then continued his on‑fire form to reach a 20‑ball half‑century, guiding the Giants to an easy 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 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 Hundred match through to the final on Sunday, 16 August, with additional streaming available on NOW, offering contract‑free access to the tournament.