Trent Rockets Secure Sixth Consecutive Victory Over MI London
Trent Rockets achieved their sixth consecutive win in The Hundred, defeating MI London by six wickets at the Kia Oval. This victory ensures the Rockets a top-three finish in the tournament, thanks to a game-changing partnership between Mitch Santner and Tim David.
Chasing a target of 148, the Rockets faced early trouble, losing Tom Curran to Finn Allen’s wicket and Aneurin Donald, who scored 23 off 10 balls, due to a miscommunication. The batting woes deepened when Sam Billings was dismissed for a duck after a stunning caught-and-bowled effort from Richard Gleeson, leaving the team at 46 for 3 within 30 balls.
Despite Ben Duckett’s attempt to stabilize the innings with 27 runs from 26 balls, he too fell to Gleeson, edging behind. However, Santner (52* off 23) and David (32* off 24) steadied the ship, forging an unbeaten partnership of 78 runs that ultimately secured the win with ten balls to spare. Their efforts were further bolstered by MI London’s poor fielding, as they dropped three catches in quick succession.
The Rockets opted to field first, a decision that initially placed their bowlers under pressure. Will Jacks attacked early, hitting 16 runs off the first five deliveries bowled by Matt Henry. But timely fielding interventions saw Tim David take a spectacular catch to dismiss James Vince, followed by an outstanding direct hit from Ben Duckett that ran out Nicholas Pooran. Calvin Harrison later took a one-handed catch to send Jacks (39 off 26) back to the pavilion, reducing MI London to 70 for 3 after 56 deliveries.
Sam Curran emerged as a lone warrior for MI London, scoring 72 runs off 46 balls, including three sixes in quick succession. However, support was limited, with Ollie Pope retired after scoring just 8 runs and Sherfane Rutherford falling for a golden duck. The innings ended with Lewis Gregory dismissing Curran, whose impressive score could not save the team from a disappointing total of 147 for 7.
MI London will now look to secure a win against the bottom-placed Birmingham Phoenix on Wednesday to keep their hopes of qualifying alive for the Eliminator. Meanwhile, the Trent Rockets can secure their direct passage to the final with a victory over Southern Brave on Monday.
After the match, Santner, named Meerkat Match Hero, commented, “Six wins out of seven but we’re not guaranteed to finish top. We know it’s a big game on Monday, and we know there are quality teams throughout this competition, so it’s going to be a tight finish.”
Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn
