Trent Rockets stretched their advantage at the top of The Hundred with a commanding display that produced their fifth win in six matches, leaving Birmingham Phoenix anchored at the foot of the table.
After choosing to bowl, the Rockets’ bowlers kept Phoenix subdued. Birmingham recovered briefly through Joe Clarke, who fought to a half-century and finished 62 off 47 balls, but the rest of the lineup struggled against accurate spin from Calvin Harrison and Mitch Santner and tidy contributions from Lewis Gregory. Phoenix were dismissed for 111 for 6 from their 100 balls.
Will Smeed produced an odd early footnote, becoming the first batter in The Hundred to be unbeaten on zero at the end of the powerplay, as Phoenix managed just 25 runs in that period and lost Mitch Owen to Mohammad Amir. Amir then left the field with a strained hamstring soon after that wicket. Craig Overton stood out in the field for the Rockets, taking four catches — a competition record for a single match — one of which accounted for Clarke.
Sam Billings, captaining the Rockets, marshalled his bowlers well after Amir’s exit and then led the chase with an unbeaten 31. Ben Duckett and Finn Allen gave the chase a calm start, moving to 29 without loss in the powerplay before Usman Tariq removed Duckett for 22. With the asking rate low, the Rockets were never really troubled; Nye Donald offered a brief flourish with 17 from six balls but Allen and Billings steadily managed the chase.
Billings produced two successive sixes off Saqib Mahmood, including a spectacular slog sweep, and when Allen fell attempting to clear the ropes with six runs still needed, Billings finished the job with another six. The Rockets wrapped up victory with 17 balls to spare, defending the modest target of 113 — the lowest total successfully defended in the men’s competition to date — and strengthening their position with two games remaining.
Lewis Gregory praised the bowlers’ discipline and the top-order batting, saying the team had been playing well and hoped to keep the momentum going.
Manchester Super Giants also enjoyed a big night, largely thanks to Jos Buttler, who made history by becoming the highest run-scorer in Twenty20 cricket. Buttler surpassed Kieron Pollard’s career total of 14,803 runs, marking the milestone in style by launching Marco Jansen into the stands and following with a flurry of sixes to bring up a 20-ball half-century.
Playing at an overcast Emirates Old Trafford, the Super Giants beat Welsh Fire with 31 balls to spare. Tim Seifert and Buttler both hit half-centuries to put the visitors in control, Seifert contributing a strong start at the top of the order. The win moves Manchester to 12 points, keeping them in the hunt for qualification and just four points behind Fire with two games left each.
The Super Giants were without captain Aiden Markram, who returned to South Africa for personal reasons; Buttler took over the captaincy and Paul Walter came into the top order, leaving three overseas players in the XI.
Welsh Fire batted first and built a historically large opening partnership — their first century stand in the men’s competition — as Matt Short and Phil Salt put on strong numbers. Short was particularly aggressive, finishing 71 off 47, while Salt made 48. Fire posted what looked like a competitive 155, aided late on by Rachin Ravindra and a spell of extra runs when Lockie Ferguson bowled three no-balls in a short burst.
In reply, the Super Giants’ openers moved briskly, and although Sam Cook was expensive early on, the pace attack of Chris Woakes and Lockie Ferguson couldn’t stem the flow. An excellent powerplay left Manchester 53 without loss and later 104 for 1 after Walter’s dismissal. Buttler then turned the innings into a one-man show, celebrating the T20 record by clearing the ropes repeatedly and steering the chase to a comfortable finish.
The weekend schedule keeps the action rolling: on Thursday London Spirit women host MI London from 3pm, followed by the men’s capital derby at 6.30pm. Both fixtures will be shown live on Sky Sports, with matches across the competition available via NOW for those watching contract-free.