The Trent Rockets continued to pull away at the summit of The Hundred leaderboard with a dominant display that earned them their fifth win out of six matches, while the Birmingham Phoenix found themselves stranded at the bottom of the table. Sam Billings anchored the chase with an unbeaten 31, guiding his side to a modest target after the Phoenix stumbled to 111 for six despite a solid half‑century from Joe Clarke. In a parallel storyline, Manchester Super Giants captain Jos Buttler 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 first. Early on, Will Smeed made a quirky piece of history: he became the first player in The Hundred to finish the powerplay unbeaten without having scored a run. The Rockets managed just 25 runs in the opening ten balls, and the loss of their fast bowler Mitch Owen to a hamstring strain – suffered while delivering a wicket to Mohammad Amir – added a further wrinkle. Smeed’s innings ended quickly, a six off just 16 deliveries, as 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‑round effort of Lewis Gregory.
For the Phoenix, only their leading run‑maker of the season, Joe Clarke, managed to break free from the pressure. He reached a fifty off 37 balls and eventually compiled 62 runs from 47 deliveries, but his effort was not enough to lift the side.
Craig Overton claimed the fourth wicket of the innings, and his safe hands set a competition record for catches taken in a single innings. Apart from Laurie Evans, who scraped into double figures, the rest of the batting line‑up could not muster momentum, and the Phoenix were bowled out for a paltry 111 in their allotted 100 balls. Captain Billings, who also contributes with the ball, rotated his bowlers wisely as he chases a fourth consecutive Hundred title.
When the Rockets took to the crease, the opening pair – Ben Duckett and Finn Allen – settled comfortably, reaching 29 runs without loss in the powerplay. Mystery spinner Usman Tariq broke the partnership by dismissing Duckett for 22, but he kept his economy tight, conceding only six runs from his first ten balls. Despite his tight spell, the Rockets were unable to build a massive total; their 113 runs became the lowest score ever successfully defended in the men’s Hundred competition. The middle overs saw Nye Donald deliver a typical aggressive cameo of 17 runs off six balls before being dismissed.
Allen and Billings then rotated the strike at roughly a run a ball, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Billings unleashed two consecutive sixes off Saqib Mahmood, including a flamboyant slog sweep that accelerated the run rate.
The finish was sealed when Allen was caught by Tariq at short mid‑on for 28, leaving just six runs required. Billings struck another six, and the Rockets clinched victory with 17 balls to spare, putting them in a comfortable position with two games remaining and a direct path to the final looking increasingly likely.
Gregory praised his unit after the win: "Our bowling was superb. We kept picking up crucial wickets and the conditions gave us a bit of variable bounce, which we used to our advantage.
The top of the order has been outstanding with the bat, and we are in a strong position to keep playing good cricket and push for the title." Meanwhile, the Manchester Super Giants, after three consecutive defeats, finally secured a needed win over Welsh Fire at an overcast Emirates Old Trafford. Half‑centuries from Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler propelled the Giants to a comfortable victory with 31 balls remaining.
Seifert reflected on the innings: "We wanted a solid start and to keep the run rate healthy. It was great to see Buttler in form at the other end. We have two big games ahead, and this win gives us a confidence boost." The Giants moved onto 12 points, now just four behind the Fire with two matches left each. They achieved this without their regular 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. In the Fire’s innings, they elected to bat after winning the toss, slipping to 4 for no loss in the first ten balls as Josh Tongue delivered a maiden spell of five dot balls.
Spin was introduced early, with Liam Dawson bowling and Matt Short being dropped almost immediately. The openers built a steady foundation before accelerating to 76 runs at the halfway mark, forming the first ever century partnership in the men’s Fire history after 70 balls. Short was particularly harsh on Noor Ahmad, who leaked 34 runs from 15 deliveries, while Sonny Baker proved even more expensive.
Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue bowled tightly, with Tongue finally breaking the partnership at 125 by dismissing Phil Salt for 48. Short went on to score a rapid 71 off 47 balls, but the Fire’s total of 155, bolstered by a late cameo from Rachin Ravindra, seemed sufficient.
When the Super Giants began their chase, Sam Cook proved unusually expensive, but the opening pair of Tim Seifert and Paul Walter took to the Essex seamers Chris Woakes and Lockie Ferguson with confidence, racing to 53 runs without loss in the powerplay. Walter contributed 37 runs before the home side reached 104 for one after 50 balls, aided by three no‑balls in six deliveries from Ferguson. Buttler started his innings cautiously before shifting into full attack mode.
He struck a towering six off Marco Jansen that sent the ball into the stands, marking his ascent to the top of the all‑time T20 run‑scoring list, overtaking Kieron Pollard’s 14,803 runs. Buttler celebrated the milestone with a couple of boundary‑clearing shots and continued his on‑fire display with successive sixes, reaching a 20‑ball half‑century and steering his side home with ease. Looking ahead, after a packed Wednesday featuring four games, Thursday will return to a single double‑header, highlighted by a capital‑city derby where the London Spirit women will host MI London at 3 pm, followed by the men’s clash at 6:30 pm.
Both fixtures will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans can follow every match of The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday, 16 August, with additional streaming available on NOW.