The Trent Rockets halted the Manchester Super Giants' flawless opening run in The Hundred, delivering a commanding 31‑run triumph at Old Trafford Cricket Ground. The win was anchored by twin half‑centuries from Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff, complemented by a decisive four‑wicket spell from Ash Gardner.
Chasing a modest target of 154, the Super Giants stumbled almost immediately. On the seventh ball of their innings, the aggressive Smriti Mandhana was stumped for just four runs off a delivery from Samantha Bates, handing the Rockets an early breakthrough. The early wicket set the tone, and the Giants soon found themselves precariously placed at 31 for three. Meg Lanning, who had struggled to find the strike in the opening overs, finally asserted herself against Katie Levick's leg‑spin, playing a series of confident shots that hinted at a possible recovery.
However, Ash Gardner turned the match decisively in the Rockets' favour. She dismissed Lanning leg‑before‑wicket for 35, leaving the Super Giants reeling at 89 for five.
Gardner then switched to the field, taking a spectacular catch at long‑off to dismiss Kathryn Bryce for 27. The catch not only removed another key batter but also boosted the morale of the Rockets' bowlers. Maitlan Brown attempted to keep the Giants' hopes alive with aggressive late‑order hitting, but a crucial run‑out by Georgia Adams ended Brown's innings and effectively sealed the game for the home side.
Gardner capped her spell with figures of 4‑16, completing a match‑winning performance. The Rockets' innings began with a setback when they lost Beth Mooney early, bowled by Grace Ballinger after Mooney attempted a pull shot that failed to lift. In the absence of Nat Sciver‑Brunt, who was sidelined with a calf injury, Sophie Luff stepped in at number three and, alongside Dunkley, took charge of the chase.
Luff employed her feet expertly, nudging the ball into the leg‑side for a maximum and then targeting Bryce, who fell for three consecutive fours. Both batters then accelerated, dispatching the bowler Villiers for sixes over the mid‑wicket boundary, and they built a rapid 50‑run partnership off just 33 deliveries. Luff celebrated her maiden half‑century in The Hundred, reaching 51 before being dismissed. Dunkley followed suit, crafting her own fifty before being caught at point off Sophie Ecclestone's bowling for a well‑made 57.
The match also featured several notable moments from the broader tournament. SunRisers Leeds secured a 45‑run win to eliminate Birmingham Phoenix, while Phoebe Litchfield recorded the fastest fifty in the women's competition.
Sikandar Raza delivered a stunning cameo that propelled MI London to a derby victory over the Spirit. Meanwhile, Jos Buttler etched his name in the record books for Manchester Super Giants, and Ben Duckett starred as the Rockets maintained their top‑of‑the‑table position, with Rashid Khan claiming a five‑wicket haul for MI London.
In the later stages of the Super Giants' innings, left‑arm spinner Bess Heath was bowled for a duck, and Villiers fell to a stumping by Gardner after scoring just five runs. The Giants lost three wickets for five runs in quick succession, a collapse that underscored the Rockets' dominant bowling display and ensured a final total well above the 150‑run mark.
After the match, Dunkley reflected on the conditions, saying, "I found the pitch a bit tricky. It wasn't my best fluency. I tried to use the angles because I found it hard to hit down the ground." She also praised her teammate, noting, "Luffy was outstanding as well. Just came in, got the momentum and us to a really good score." Looking ahead, Saturday will feature a double‑header at Birmingham Phoenix's ground, with the women's match against Welsh Fire slated for 11:00 am and the men's encounter at 2:30 pm.
Later in the day, at 2:30 pm, London Spirit will face Southern Brave in a women's clash at Lord's, followed by the men's match at 6:00 pm. Fans can continue to follow every game of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday, August 16, with live streaming available on NOW, offering contract‑free access to all the action.