Nat Sciver-Brunt is the leading female run-scorer in The Hundred; Trent Rockets beat struggling Southern Brave to stay in contention; Birmingham Phoenix kept themselves in the mix with win over Welsh Fire - watch every game from The Hundred live on Sky Sports
Saturday 10 August 2024 18:40, UK
Trent Rockets maintained their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of The Hundred with a 24-run win over Southern Brave in Southampton as skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt became the highest run-scorer in the history of the women's competition.
Sciver-Brunt's 60 not out from 37 balls - during which she surpassed Brave opener and England team-mate Danni Wyatt's haul of 903 runs across all editions of The Hundred - took Rockets to 155-7.
Wyatt (0) failed to add to her tally after falling for a golden duck in Brave's response with the already-eliminated defending champions restricted to 131-6 - Chloe Tryon top-scoring with an unbeaten 47 from 31 balls - as they slumped to a fifth defeat in seven fixtures.
Fifth-placed Rockets must now beat Birmingham Phoenix on Monday and Oval Invincibles on Wednesday, as well as hope other results fall in their favour, to finish in the top three.
The table toppers will progress directly to the final at Lord's on August 18, where they will face the winner of an eliminator between the second and third-placed teams at The Kia Oval a day earlier.
Rockets are up to six points from as many games and to within a point of the top three, while Brave are rooted to the foot of the table on three points having picked up a solitary victory, over Invincibles.
Sciver-Brunt enjoyed a slice of fortune on 38 when she deflected Lauren Bell's slower ball back onto her stumps but the bails stayed on, during a Rockets innings in which opener Grace Scrivens struck a sprightly 36 off 24 balls.
Brave bowler Bell picked up three wickets and conceded two boundaries in an entertaining final five balls, while Wyatt and Maia Bouchier (0) were dismissed by left-arm seamer Alexa Stonehouse during the opening five balls of the reply.
Smriti Mandhana (42 off 27) - who had run out Rockets' Bryony Smith from the first ball of the match - and Brave captain Georgia Adams (27 off 29) rallied the hosts from 1-2 with a stand of 60 from 46 balls.
That partnership was snapped when Adams was run out with 95 runs required from 50 deliveries and Brave's knock subsequently fizzled out, with Tryon's boundaries at the backend coming too late.
"I am really happy with today. Their batters put us under the pump, and made us go through a few plans. After a few games, we felt pretty down. But we've come back pretty strongly in the last two games."
An inspired bowling performance by Birmingham Phoenix flipped the formbook against Welsh Fire to keep them squarely in the mix as The Hundred reaches the business end.
Marshalling her attack superbly to defend a modest 121, Phoenix skipper Ellyse Perry was once again the catalyst, claiming wickets in successive balls to remove Sophie Dunkley and Sarah Bryce after Charis Pavely had early induced a thin edge from Tammy Beaumont.
Those wickets checked the Fire's progress but from 42-3 the overseas stars Hayley Matthews and Jess Jonassen got together to repair the innings. They put on 46 together, with Jonassen playing beautifully down the ground, check-driving what would turn out to be the only six of the Fire's innings.
But with 34 needed from 27 balls, leg-spinner Hannah Baker scuttled a straight one past Jonassen's attempted reverse sweep, and the squeeze was on.
Fellow leggie Katie Levick, daring to give it some air, then encouraged the dangerous Georgia Elwiss to pick out deep mid-off, before returning for the penultimate set of five to claim the key scalp of Matthews for 35 (38), caught at extra cover looking to clear the infield.
With 14 needed, a nerveless final set from Emily Arlott iced the match.
Earlier in the piece, the Phoenix's innings was held together by Netherlands right-hander Sterre Kalis, who started circumspectly in cahoots with Sophie Devine before unfurling eight fours en route to her first half-century of the tournament.
Although Matthews' off-breaks - 3-32 from her full quota - kept the Phoenix middle-order in check, their total on a turning pitch was just good enough, ensuring the Phoenix are alive and kicking going into the tournament's final week.
"Obviously we struggled a bit at the start on a used pitch and I probably let the bowlers bowl a bit too much to me, rather than getting out there with more intent, but I stuck around and finally got some away and felt alright!
"I'm really happy with the opportunity to go in up top, it was something I really wanted this year and to get an opportunity is something I really appreciate.
"Credit to Pez [Perry] early on and then the spinners. It wasn't the highest total to defend, so the bowlers did an amazing job to restrict them. Two more games to go. A good win for us and hopefully we can stay in the competition."
Sunday is another four-game day in The Hundred, starting with a London derby between Oval Invincibles and London Spirit at The Kia Oval as the women's sides collide from 11am before the men lock horns from 2.30pm.
There is also action at Emirates Old Trafford as Manchester Originals met Northern Superchargers, with the women's fixture starting at 2.30pm and the men's at 6pm.
Oval Invincibles Women vs London Spirit Women (10.30am on air, 11am start)
- Free stream on Sky Sports' digital platforms; also on Sky Sports Cricket
Oval Invincibles Men vs London Spirit Men (2pm on air, 2.30pm start)
- Live on Sky Sports Cricket
Manchester Originals Women vs Northern Superchargers Women (2pm on air, 2.30pm start)
- Free stream on Sky Sports' digital platforms; also on Sky Sports Mix
Manchester Originals Men vs Northern Superchargers Men (5.30pm on air, 6pm start)
- Live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event
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