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Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten 51 off 29 balls propels Rockets to 149
The Hundred women’s competition, Lord’s
Trent Rockets 149-6 (100 balls): Sciver-Brunt 51* (29); Gray 4-19
London Spirit 116 (95 balls): Knott 33 (25); Gordon 4-15
Rockets won by 33 runs
Defending champions London Spirit witnessed their winning streak come to an end, suffering a 33-run defeat against Trent Rockets in The Hundred at Lord’s.
Chasing a target of 150, Spirit were eventually dismissed for 116, as Kirstie Gordon’s impressive spell of 4-19 helped secure the first victory of the campaign for the visitors.
Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne provided a patient opening partnership of 26 before Spirit faltered, slipping to 70-6, with Australia’s Grace Harris, who has been in fine form, departing for just eight.
Fellow Australian Charli Knott offered some resistance with a score of 33, preventing a complete collapse as spinners Ash Gardner and Gordon bowled in tandem to great effect. Gardner concluded with figures of 2-14.
Earlier, an unbeaten 51 from 29 balls by England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt underpinned the Rockets’ competitive total of 149-6, following Bryony Smith’s explosive innings of 42 from 23 at the top of the order.
Smith and Nat Wraith combined for a rapid 62 in just 35 balls for the opening wicket, but the Rockets’ progress was checked when both were dismissed in quick succession by seamer Eva Gray.
Sciver-Brunt then partnered with Australian all-rounder Gardner for a 60-run stand, although a late flurry of wickets saw four fall for just 11 runs, as Spirit fought back strongly, with Gray ending on 4-19.
Sciver-Brunt reached her half-century with a six off Charlie Dean on the final ball of the Rockets’ innings, pushing them to a challenging total, adding to a difficult day for the Spirit captain, who finished with 0-40 from 15 balls.
The win ensures Southern Brave remain at the top of the table, as the Rockets secure their first victory, leaving Welsh Fire as the only side yet to win in the women’s competition.
The Hundred 2025 – fixtures, results & reports
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Gibson claims ‘excellent’ diving catch to remove Smith for 42
Following consecutive defeats, the Rockets needed strong performances from their senior players to reignite their campaign, and Sciver-Brunt and Gardner duly delivered.
They were aided by Smith and Wraith’s dynamic start, who punished the Spirit bowlers for bowling too short and wide. Smith led the charge, striking seven fours and a six, before being brilliantly caught on the boundary by England’s Dani Gibson.
Sciver-Brunt then displayed a masterclass in the middle overs, expertly finding the gaps, manipulating the field with her trademark sweeps, and unleashing a glorious lofted drive over extra cover for six off Dean.
However, she saw less of the strike after Gardner’s dismissal, as Gray removed Heather Graham and Emma Jones in successive deliveries.
Spirit’s fightback, led by Gray and supported by excellent catches from Gibson, Glenn, and Dean, kept them in the game after the Rockets had threatened a much larger total, but they were unable to find any fluency with the bat, raising concerns about their reliance on Harris.
Their overseas star has amassed 165 runs at an average of 82.5 this year, while the remainder of the top seven has contributed 227 runs, averaging just 12.6.
Northern Superchargers’ women will be looking to keep the pressure on the top two as they take on Birmingham Phoenix at 15:00 BST.
The men’s game follows at 18:30 BST, with Phoenix hoping to build momentum after defeating leaders Oval Invincibles in their most recent match on Tuesday.
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