Image: Nat Sciver-Brunt and Bryony Smith powered Trent Rockets Women to win / © ESPNCricinfo
On August 14, 2025, at the historic Lord’s Cricket Ground, the Trent Rockets (Women) showcased a dynamic batting performance to secure a commanding 33-run victory over London Spirit (Women) in The Hundred. Opting to bat first after losing the toss, the Rockets posted a formidable 149/6 in their 100 balls, blending explosive starts, steady consolidation, and a standout individual effort to set a challenging target.
The Rockets’ innings ignited with a blazing opening stand between Bryony Smith and Natasha Wraith, who made the most of the powerplay to lay a rock-solid foundation. Smith was in scintillating form, smashing 42 runs off just 23 balls at a strike rate of 182.60. Her aggressive intent was clear as she hammered seven fours and a towering six, targeting loose deliveries with precision and flair. Wraith complemented her perfectly, contributing a brisk 20 off 15 balls, including two fours and a six, at a strike rate of 133.33. Together, they raced to 62 runs in just 36 balls, putting the Spirit’s bowlers under immediate pressure.
The momentum shifted when Eva Gray struck for the Spirit, dismissing Wraith on the 36th ball with a delivery that crashed into the stumps. Three balls later, Gray claimed Smith, who was caught after her entertaining knock, leaving the Rockets at 63/2 after 39 balls. The dismissals brought Nat Sciver-Brunt, the team’s cornerstone, to the crease. She took charge with a masterful unbeaten 51 off 29 balls, blending caution with aggression to keep the innings on track. Her knock, laced with four fours and two sixes, came at a strike rate of 175.86, showcasing her ability to adapt to the situation. Sciver-Brunt started steadily, ensuring the early wickets didn’t derail the innings, before accelerating in the latter stages to push the score past 140.
Sciver-Brunt found an able partner in captain Ashleigh Gardner, who played a vital supporting role with a composed 25 off 22 balls. Gardner’s innings, which included two fours and a six, came at a strike rate of 113.63, providing stability while allowing Sciver-Brunt to take calculated risks. Their 60-run partnership for the third wicket, spanning 42 balls, was the backbone of the innings, guiding the Rockets through a potentially tricky phase. Gardner’s ability to rotate the strike and pick off boundaries against the Spirit’s spin-heavy attack complemented Sciver-Brunt’s flair, ensuring the scoreboard kept ticking. The duo’s partnership was a blend of smart cricket and controlled aggression, frustrating the Spirit bowlers.
The middle and lower order faced challenges against a disciplined Spirit bowling unit led by Eva Gray. Heather Graham struggled, managing just 1 run off 3 balls before being caught off Gray’s bowling. Emma Jones fell for a duck on the next ball, also to Gray, who was proving to be a formidable force. Alana King’s brief stay yielded 1 run off 3 balls before she too fell to Gray, leaving the Rockets at 134/6 with 7 balls remaining. Gray’s spell was the highlight for the Spirit, finishing with 4/19 in 20 balls, including 9 dot balls, as she dismantled the Rockets’ middle order. Despite these setbacks, Jodi Grewcock provided a late flourish, scoring an unbeaten 7 off 4 balls with a boundary, helping the Rockets reach 149/6.
The innings was aided by 2 extras, both wides, as the Spirit bowlers occasionally lost their line. The Spirit’s bowling effort was a mixed bag. Eva Gray was exceptional, her four wickets keeping the Rockets in check during the middle phase. Sarah Glenn supported with 1/20 in 20 balls, dismissing Gardner, while Issy Wong chipped in with 1/26, removing King. Charlie Dean struggled, conceding 40 runs in 15 balls without a wicket, and Bex Tyson was also expensive, leaking 28 runs in 15 balls. Charli Knott failed to contain the Rockets’ batters, finishing with 0/16.
Chasing 150 runs in 100 balls, London Spirit (Women) needed a strong start and consistent partnerships to keep up with the required run rate of 1.50 runs per ball. However, the Trent Rockets’ bowlers delivered a clinical performance, restricting the Spirit to 116 runs in 95 balls, securing a comprehensive 33-run victory. The Spirit’s chase began cautiously, with openers Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne managing 26 runs in the first 24 balls. Chathli showed promise, scoring 19 off 15 balls with three fours at a strike rate of 126.66, but her dismissal, caught behind off Cassidy McCarthy, gave the Rockets an early breakthrough.
Redmayne struggled, scoring 9 off 15 balls before being caught off Ashleigh Gardner’s bowling in the 33rd ball. At 36/2, the Spirit were behind the required rate. Cordelia Griffith injected life into the innings with a quickfire 20 off 11 balls, including four boundaries, at a strike rate of 181.81. Her aggressive approach raised hopes, but Heather Graham dismissed her in the 43rd ball, leaving the Spirit at 53/3. The middle order crumbled under the Rockets’ relentless bowling. Grace Harris, expected to anchor the chase, scored 8 off 7 balls before being caught off Kirstie Gordon’s bowling.
Danielle Gibson’s 5-run cameo ended when she was caught off Alana King, and Issy Wong fell for 1 run to Graham’s bowling. At 70/6 after 62 balls, the Spirit’s chase was in disarray. Charli Knott provided resistance, scoring 33 off 25 balls with three fours and a six at a strike rate of 132.00. Her knock kept the Spirit in the game briefly, but the rising required rate and regular wickets made the task daunting.
The Rockets’ bowlers tightened their grip in the latter stages. Charlie Dean scored 8 off 6 balls before being caught off Gardner’s bowling. Sarah Glenn was trapped lbw for a duck by Gordon in a reviewed decision on the 76th ball, effectively sealing the Spirit’s fate. Eva Gray’s 9 off 8 balls offered a glimmer of hope, but Gordon dismissed her in the 93rd ball. Knott’s dismissal, stumped off Gordon’s bowling in the 95th ball, ended the Spirit’s innings at 116, with Bex Tyson unbeaten on 1. The Spirit’s innings included 3 extras (1 wide, 2 no-balls), but their batting lineup struggled against the Rockets’ disciplined attack.
Kirstie Gordon was the standout, finishing with 4/15 in 20 balls, including 10 dot balls, as she tore through the Spirit’s middle and lower order. Ashleigh Gardner supported with 2/14 in 15 balls, while Heather Graham claimed 2/28. Cassidy McCarthy (1/18) and Alana King (1/30) contributed, and Alexa Stonehouse bowled a tight 0/11 in 10 balls. The powerplay yielded just 26 runs for one wicket, setting a slow tone, and the Spirit reached 100 runs only by the 84th ball.
The Spirit’s chase was derailed by early wickets with a sluggish scoring rate, and the Rockets’ ability to strike at key moments and while Knott and Griffith showed intent, the lack of support and the Rockets’ disciplined bowling ensured the target remained out of reach, highlighting the challenges of chasing in The Hundred’s high-pressure format.
Nat Sciver-Brunt stole the show with a match-defining performance, anchoring the Trent Rockets’ innings to 149/6. Unbeaten on 51 off 29 balls, she struck four boundaries and two sixes at a strike rate of 175.86. Coming in at 62/1 after Wraith’s dismissal in the 36th ball, she built a crucial 60-run stand with Gardner, pushing the score past 120.
Despite wickets falling, including Graham and Jones, Sciver-Brunt stayed composed, forging an unbeaten 15-run stand with Grewcock to guide the Rockets to a competitive total. Her mix of caution and flair was the game’s defining moment, setting up the victory.
Kirstie Gordon earned TCNI’s Hero of the Day with a stellar bowling performance that dismantled London Spirit’s chase of 150 and her 4/15 in 20 balls, at an economy of 0.75 runs per ball, including 10 dot balls, keeping the batters under pressure.
Gordon dismissed Knott, Dean, Glenn, and Gray, triggering a collapse from 95/6 to 116 all out in 95 balls and her tight lines and ability to exploit conditions made scoring difficult, cementing her role as the match’s standout performer and ensuring the Rockets’ 33-run victory.