The Trent Rockets widened the gap at the summit of The Hundred standings with a dominant performance that secured their fifth win from six matches, while the Birmingham Phoenix found themselves anchored at the foot of the table. Sam Billings anchored the chase with an unbeaten 31, steering the Rockets to a comfortable finish after the Phoenix stumbled to 111 for 6 despite a half‑century from Joe Clarke.
Meanwhile, Jos Buttler, playing for the Manchester Super Giants, etched his name into the record books by becoming the all‑time leading run‑scorer in Twenty20 cricket. The match began with the Rockets opting to field.
Early on, Will Smeed made history of a different sort, becoming the first player in The Hundred to remain not‑out without scoring at the end of the powerplay. The Rockets managed just 25 runs in that opening phase before losing Mitch Owen to a hamstring injury that forced Mohammad Amir off the field immediately after he claimed the wicket. Smeed’s innings ended quickly, caught for six off 16 balls, as the visitors appeared tentative against a disciplined bowling attack that featured standout spells from spinners Calvin Harrison and Mitch Santner, complemented by the steady work of Lewis Gregory. Joe Clarke was the sole Phoenix batsman to break free from the pressure.
He reached a fifty off 37 deliveries and eventually compiled 62 from 47 balls, only to fall to Craig Overton’s safe hands – a catch that added to a competition‑record tally of dismissals. Apart from Laurie Evans, who managed to get into double figures, the Phoenix lineup could not muster momentum and limped to a modest 111 for 6 after using all 100 balls. When the Rockets took to the crease, the opening pair of Ben Duckett and Finn Allen enjoyed a relaxed start, cruising to 29 without loss in the powerplay.
Mystery spinner Usman Tariq broke Duckett’s stand with a wicket for 22 and celebrated his dismissal with his trademark bow‑gesture, conceding just six runs from his first ten balls. However, the target of 113 turned out to be the lowest total ever successfully defended in the men's Hundred competition, underscoring the difficulty of chasing even modest scores in this format. Nye Donald contributed a gritty 17 off six balls before being dismissed, after which Allen and Billings rotated the strike at roughly a run a ball.
Billings then accelerated, hitting two consecutive sixes off Saqib Mahmood – one of them a spectacular slog sweep – which propelled the Rockets toward the finish. The win was sealed when Allen was caught by Tariq at short mid‑on for 28, leaving the Rockets with six runs required and plenty of overs left.
Billings added another six, and the Rockets clinched victory with 17 balls remaining, positioning themselves comfortably with two games left and a smoother path to the final. Gregory reflected on the performance, saying, "Our bowling was excellent; we kept applying pressure and taking key wickets. The pitch offered variable bounce, but we focused on hitting the top of the stumps hard.
The top order has been outstanding, and we are in a strong position to keep playing good cricket." In a separate fixture, the Manchester Super Giants secured a crucial win over Welsh Fire at an overcast Emirates Old Trafford, keeping their qualification hopes alive. Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler each posted half‑centuries, guiding the Giants to a comfortable victory with 31 balls to spare. Seifert explained, "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 momentum for the two big games ahead." The Giants moved onto 12 points, just four behind the Fire with two matches each remaining.
The Giants had to cope without captain Aiden Markram, who returned to South Africa for personal reasons. Buttler assumed the captaincy, and Paul Walter stepped into the opening slot, meaning the side fielded only three overseas players.
Welsh Fire won the toss and elected to bat, slipping to 4 for 0 after the first ten balls, with Josh Tongue delivering a maiden spell of five dot balls. Spin was introduced early, and Liam Dawson’s attempt to claim Matt Short was thwarted when the latter was dropped. The openers steadied the innings, eventually forging a 76‑run partnership at the halfway mark – the first century partnership in Fire’s men’s history – before reaching 125 after 83 balls when Phil Salt fell for 48. Short went on to score a rapid 71 from 47 balls, but the Fire’s total of 155, buoyed by a late cameo from Rachin Ravindra, seemed competitive.
In response, the Super Giants’ openers Seifert and Walter attacked the pace of Essex’s Chris Woakes and Lockie Ferguson, cruising to 53 without loss in the powerplay. Walter contributed 37 runs, and the side reached 104 for 1 after 50 balls, helped by three no‑balls in a six‑ball spell from Ferguson.
Buttler, after a cautious start, unleashed a flurry of aggression, hitting Marco Jansen for a six that pushed his career tally past Kieron Pollard’s 14,803 runs, making him the all‑time leading run‑scorer in Twenty20 cricket. He celebrated each milestone by clearing the ropes on consecutive deliveries and continued the onslaught with a series of sixes, reaching a 20‑ball fifty and steering the Giants to an easy win. Looking ahead, Thursday will feature a single double‑header, with the London Spirit women’s side hosting MI London at 3 pm, followed by the men’s teams clashing at 6:30 pm. Both matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can watch every Hundred game through to the final on August 16 via the NOW platform.