126/1 (14.2)
CR : 8.79
122/7 (20.0)
CR : 6.10
Trent Rockets won by 9 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Ben Duckett
52(45)*
14.2
4
Marco Jansen to Tom Banton
FOUR!! SMACKED!! DONE AND DUSTED!! Pitches it up, full, and around off. Banton backs away a bit and gets underneath the ball. Goes inside out and lifts it over the extra cover fielder for a boundary on the freebie to seal the deal. TRENT ROCKETS HAVE DEFEATED WELSH FIRE BY 9 WICKETS WITH 28 BALLS TO SPARE!!
Over 15
Trent Rockets 126/1
Tom Banton31(15)
Ben Duckett52(45)
Marco Jansen0-25(17 b)
TR won by 9 wickets
10:01 PM IST, 5:31 PM Local Time: Back-to-Back wins for the Trent Rockets as they gain eight points from three games now. A complete domination from the Men in Yellow in Cardiff. They overpowered the Welsh Fire in all the facets and ensured a nine wickets victory in the end. For the Fire's, they were below par and the extras bowled in the second innings only stinged hard as they taste their first defeat of the tournament.
Arriving for the chase, the Trent Rockets got off to a rollicking start, courtesy of Ben Duckett and Finn Allen. The former initiated the assault against the opposition pacers before Allen joined him after a blistering powerplay. He smoked consecutive sixes during his stay and posted 19-ball 33 in a 78-run opening stand.
The Fire's bowled a plethora of no-balls with Lockie Ferguson leading the chart for the wrong reasons. Duckett continued to flourish with the bat while Tom Banton played a good hand scoring 19-ball 31* in the end. The southpaw smashed a well-tailored fifty as the pair steered the innings together and jolted 51 runs to propel the side past the finishing line.
Previously, the Rockets won the toss and chose to field first, the Welsh side never really managed to get going and finished with a modest 122/7 from their 100 balls. The Rockets' pace trio of Mohammad Amir, Craig Overton and Matt Henry set the tone early, reducing Fire to 26/2 inside the Powerplay and putting the batting side under constant pressure.
Matthew Short tried to steady the innings with a composed 36, adding a useful partnership with Rachin Ravindra, but just as Fire looked set to build, the Rockets struck back. Lewis Gregory broke the stand before Mitchell Santner ripped through the middle order, triggering a collapse that saw Fire slip from 62/2 to 72/5.
Jordan Cox then injected some much-needed life into the innings with a blistering 33 off just 16 balls, smashing four sixes and briefly shifting the momentum. His entertaining cameo came to an end thanks to a sensational one-handed diving catch from Finn Allen on the boundary, denying Cox a fourth straight maximum. Santner finished with three wickets, Henry picked up two, while the rest of the attack chipped in with one apiece.
Fire crossed the 100-run mark, but managed only 10 runs from the final 10 balls without finding the boundary, leaving the Rockets with a target they'll feel confident of chasing, although The Hundred has shown that even modest totals can prove tricky under pressure.
Stay tuned to unravel what the players have to say.
Arriving for the chase, the Trent Rockets got off to a rollicking start, courtesy of Ben Duckett and Finn Allen. The former initiated the assault against the opposition pacers before Allen joined him after a blistering powerplay. He smoked consecutive sixes during his stay and posted 19-ball 33 in a 78-run opening stand.
The Fire's bowled a plethora of no-balls with Lockie Ferguson leading the chart for the wrong reasons. Duckett continued to flourish with the bat while Tom Banton played a good hand scoring 19-ball 31* in the end. The southpaw smashed a well-tailored fifty as the pair steered the innings together and jolted 51 runs to propel the side past the finishing line.
Previously, the Rockets won the toss and chose to field first, the Welsh side never really managed to get going and finished with a modest 122/7 from their 100 balls. The Rockets' pace trio of Mohammad Amir, Craig Overton and Matt Henry set the tone early, reducing Fire to 26/2 inside the Powerplay and putting the batting side under constant pressure.
Matthew Short tried to steady the innings with a composed 36, adding a useful partnership with Rachin Ravindra, but just as Fire looked set to build, the Rockets struck back. Lewis Gregory broke the stand before Mitchell Santner ripped through the middle order, triggering a collapse that saw Fire slip from 62/2 to 72/5.
Jordan Cox then injected some much-needed life into the innings with a blistering 33 off just 16 balls, smashing four sixes and briefly shifting the momentum. His entertaining cameo came to an end thanks to a sensational one-handed diving catch from Finn Allen on the boundary, denying Cox a fourth straight maximum. Santner finished with three wickets, Henry picked up two, while the rest of the attack chipped in with one apiece.
Fire crossed the 100-run mark, but managed only 10 runs from the final 10 balls without finding the boundary, leaving the Rockets with a target they'll feel confident of chasing, although The Hundred has shown that even modest totals can prove tricky under pressure.
Stay tuned to unravel what the players have to say.
Highest Partnerships for Any Wicket for Trent Rockets vs Welsh Fire in Men’s Hundred:
89 – Alex Hales & Dawid Malan, Nottingham, 2022 (1st wicket)
76 – Colin Munro & Daniel Sams, Cardiff, 2023 (6th wicket)
75 – Finn Allen & Ben Duckett, Cardiff, 2026 (1st wicket), Today*
69* – Lewis Gregory & Samit Patel, Cardiff, 2021 (5th wicket)
66 – Tom Banton & Joe Root, Cardiff, 2025 (1st wicket)
89 – Alex Hales & Dawid Malan, Nottingham, 2022 (1st wicket)
76 – Colin Munro & Daniel Sams, Cardiff, 2023 (6th wicket)
75 – Finn Allen & Ben Duckett, Cardiff, 2026 (1st wicket), Today*
69* – Lewis Gregory & Samit Patel, Cardiff, 2021 (5th wicket)
66 – Tom Banton & Joe Root, Cardiff, 2025 (1st wicket)
Biggest Win in Men’s Hundred (By Balls Remaining) (T-100+):
43 – MI London vs Manchester Super Giants, The Oval, 2025 (T-129)
35 – Birmingham Phoenix vs London Spirit, Birmingham, 2025 (T-127)
31 – Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, Southampton, 2022 (T-108)
28 – Trent Rockets vs Welsh Fire, Cardiff, 2026 (T-123), Today*
26 – Birmingham Phoenix vs Sunrisers Leeds, Leeds, 2021 (T-144)
26 – Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets, Birmingham, 2021 (T-145)
43 – MI London vs Manchester Super Giants, The Oval, 2025 (T-129)
35 – Birmingham Phoenix vs London Spirit, Birmingham, 2025 (T-127)
31 – Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, Southampton, 2022 (T-108)
28 – Trent Rockets vs Welsh Fire, Cardiff, 2026 (T-123), Today*
26 – Birmingham Phoenix vs Sunrisers Leeds, Leeds, 2021 (T-144)
26 – Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets, Birmingham, 2021 (T-145)
Hero of the Match: Ben Duckett
Ben Duckett (Hero of the Match): (On the bowlers' performance) "I thought they were superb. We spoke about coming here and trying to adapt to the pitch as early as we could. We realised that when you missed just a fraction shorter, it became really difficult for the batters. The bowlers were superb, and they deserve massive credit for this win.
(On his approach with the bat) I think against that attack, which is a world-class attack, my aim was to try and get through the Powerplay, and then it might become easier, especially when chasing a low target. That was made a lot easier with Finn Allen at the other end whacking it. The four free hits helped as well. To be honest, I really struggled to find my rhythm throughout the innings, but Finn played beautifully, and Banton came in and took all the pressure off me.
(On the importance of partnerships) One person doesn't win games. Partnerships are still a big part of this format. I'm not just trying to be that guy, but I think a lot of players in our team deserved this award ahead of me. I was just there at the end. The bowlers won us the game, and once there wasn't much damage early in the chase, it became easier to keep going through the middle overs.
(On taking momentum into the next game) We're really happy with the win because the first two games were pretty tight, and this was a comfortable victory. Winning away from home is never easy. We've got Manchester next, and they're a great team. Hopefully, we can take the form from the last two games into that match and get back to Trent Bridge with three wins in a row."
(On his approach with the bat) I think against that attack, which is a world-class attack, my aim was to try and get through the Powerplay, and then it might become easier, especially when chasing a low target. That was made a lot easier with Finn Allen at the other end whacking it. The four free hits helped as well. To be honest, I really struggled to find my rhythm throughout the innings, but Finn played beautifully, and Banton came in and took all the pressure off me.
(On the importance of partnerships) One person doesn't win games. Partnerships are still a big part of this format. I'm not just trying to be that guy, but I think a lot of players in our team deserved this award ahead of me. I was just there at the end. The bowlers won us the game, and once there wasn't much damage early in the chase, it became easier to keep going through the middle overs.
(On taking momentum into the next game) We're really happy with the win because the first two games were pretty tight, and this was a comfortable victory. Winning away from home is never easy. We've got Manchester next, and they're a great team. Hopefully, we can take the form from the last two games into that match and get back to Trent Bridge with three wins in a row."
Sam Billings (Trent Rockets Captain): "(How did the pitch play today in the win?) No, I think the bowling today was exceptional. Look, we know this wicket, uh, can offer a bit too for the bowlers early on, but the way we executed – Matt Henry's obviously come off a couple of difficult games, but really showed his class today by getting a key wicket of Phil Salt and really backing it up. So, the bowlers really set it up. They were always behind the game in terms of runs on the board, and obviously, Jordan Clark showed his class with a little cameo, but we always felt, you know, anything under 140 would be a really good effort. I thought the way we chased it down was just a really professional job.
(The surface was a topic of conversation today. What did you make of it?) Yeah, I think it's just being open-minded. Look, I think in this day and age, T20 cricket, everyone, especially young players, come into games thinking, you know, you just gotta put the foot down. But I think Ben Duckett showed a real class and batsmanship and application in the last couple of games. That's why he's one of the best all-format players-
(Sam, what was the chat with your bowlers w- in your, in your bowling innings? What were you expecting from your bowlers, or what was the chat you were having with them for this surface?) Yeah, whenever you come to Cardiff, it's all about holding length. You know, test match length, eight meters away from the crease. And just being really courageous, even if you get hit off that a couple of times, it's maintaining that and, and being, like I said, courageous in doing that. So, that was the main thing. Use the wicket. The wicket's your friend.
(And what about at the death, right at the death? I'm talking last 15 balls, last 20 balls. Did you ask your bowlers to just hold, keep holding, don't worry about their yorkers?) Yeah, exactly. Exactly that. Pace off into the pitch. Obviously, the wind plays a massive factor here. So again, it takes courage. Sometimes you ask your bowlers to do things that probably are away from their gut feeling or their usual plans. But I thought the way the guys bowled today, especially at the end, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Amir, was fantastic. So, yeah, like I said, hold length. And if it's working, keep doing it.
(So on the other side of things then, Ben Duckett, match hero, what was working for him on that surface?) Yeah, again, look, a little bit of luck to start the game off. You know, there was plenty in the wicket with it. I thought Chris Woakes opened the bowling beautifully. But, as soon as you get a little bit of momentum and actually hold the game, don't lose early wickets, you know it's gonna get easier. As I said, in the last two games he's batted beautifully.
(How good is it to have him on your team?) Oh, massively. He looks like a minion in the yellow. Doesn't he? How small he is. But he's such a quality player. 360 player and so difficult to bowl at. And with Finn Allen at the other end, you know, if those two guys – they've got differing styles, contrasting styles, they're such a brilliant partnership. And just a word on Tom Banton, the way he's batting. He's batted in the middle order for England, but the quality he's shown, and the form he's shown, he's hitting the ball beautifully.
(Just back to Duckett. Why is he so hard to bowl to?) Yeah, I mean, those scoops, the use of pace. A good length delivery is actually short length for him, so he can cut and pull. And as I said, I think it really helps having someone at the other end, like Finn Allen, with a contrasting style. But yeah, when he's playing well, he's so good in all formats of the game. He manoeuvres the ball brilliantly and hits gaps. And, um, you know, not necessarily a six-hitter, but hits good balls for runs, and the way he puts people under pressure without even trying is a real kind of quality that few batters have. So, great to see him in form. Obviously there'll be games where he won't be the guy and other guys need to step up, but hopefully this form just really continues.
(In terms of big hitters, Sam, how does Duckett compare to Allen?) Yeah, obviously difference in stature, isn't he? But, as I said, in this game, there's different ways to skin a cat. And that should be a real lesson, even for myself watching Ben bat at the moment; you should be learning about how he's going about his business, how he's assessing conditions, the bowlers he's looking to take down, uh, because that's batsmanship, and that's a real show of that. Whereas obviously Finn has out-and-out power, like Tim David as well. Two unique profiles of players as well.
(Well, you two did a lovely interview together at the start of the season. I don't know if I should say this to you on live TV, but Ravi's got high aspirations for you, Sam. [laughs]) Well, we had many battles over the years. Battle of the Bridge, which is the biggest rivalry in world cricket: Essex versus Kent. So, we've had our battles over the years, but it's nice to see you doing well, mate. I'm really enjoying it.
(So is he?) It's nice to obviously play in a team that's a great group of people. Cricketers, of course, but a great group of people. And really enjoying my cricket as well. I think, as you said to me before, as you get older, you kind of take a little bit of pressure off yourself, start to kind of get that fun feeling back, taking the pressure off yourself. So yeah, it's nice to be playing well.
(We know how to get the job done. How do you do it at the Rockets? And I suppose it's now two from three. Are you on the right track?) Yeah, exactly. I think that's the key thing, isn't it? It's not getting ahead of yourself. Another really tough game on, on Friday. A great side up there. So yeah, plenty of quality that we're coming up against, but we know the quality we have in our side, and I feel like we're starting to get our rhythm. So, you have to earn the right. Every single game, there's plenty on the line, and in this format and in this competition, you can't afford too many slip-ups. So, yeah, we're a hungry group. Peter Moores, can't speak highly enough of him. He's been brilliant with the group, so hopefully we can keep going.
(Today's Wednesday, isn't it? Friday, trip to Manchester. What are you expecting from the Super Giants? Because they've impressed as well this year.) Yeah, obviously, it'll be interesting to see if it's a fresh pitch. Obviously a lot of power up top again. And, yeah, two quality spinners on a spin-friendly wicket. So how you go about that, you gotta think about your options and five bowling attacks. So yeah, there's different ways, but as I said, they're a quality side. We're gonna have to be right on it."
(The surface was a topic of conversation today. What did you make of it?) Yeah, I think it's just being open-minded. Look, I think in this day and age, T20 cricket, everyone, especially young players, come into games thinking, you know, you just gotta put the foot down. But I think Ben Duckett showed a real class and batsmanship and application in the last couple of games. That's why he's one of the best all-format players-
(Sam, what was the chat with your bowlers w- in your, in your bowling innings? What were you expecting from your bowlers, or what was the chat you were having with them for this surface?) Yeah, whenever you come to Cardiff, it's all about holding length. You know, test match length, eight meters away from the crease. And just being really courageous, even if you get hit off that a couple of times, it's maintaining that and, and being, like I said, courageous in doing that. So, that was the main thing. Use the wicket. The wicket's your friend.
(And what about at the death, right at the death? I'm talking last 15 balls, last 20 balls. Did you ask your bowlers to just hold, keep holding, don't worry about their yorkers?) Yeah, exactly. Exactly that. Pace off into the pitch. Obviously, the wind plays a massive factor here. So again, it takes courage. Sometimes you ask your bowlers to do things that probably are away from their gut feeling or their usual plans. But I thought the way the guys bowled today, especially at the end, Lewis Gregory, Mohammad Amir, was fantastic. So, yeah, like I said, hold length. And if it's working, keep doing it.
(So on the other side of things then, Ben Duckett, match hero, what was working for him on that surface?) Yeah, again, look, a little bit of luck to start the game off. You know, there was plenty in the wicket with it. I thought Chris Woakes opened the bowling beautifully. But, as soon as you get a little bit of momentum and actually hold the game, don't lose early wickets, you know it's gonna get easier. As I said, in the last two games he's batted beautifully.
(How good is it to have him on your team?) Oh, massively. He looks like a minion in the yellow. Doesn't he? How small he is. But he's such a quality player. 360 player and so difficult to bowl at. And with Finn Allen at the other end, you know, if those two guys – they've got differing styles, contrasting styles, they're such a brilliant partnership. And just a word on Tom Banton, the way he's batting. He's batted in the middle order for England, but the quality he's shown, and the form he's shown, he's hitting the ball beautifully.
(Just back to Duckett. Why is he so hard to bowl to?) Yeah, I mean, those scoops, the use of pace. A good length delivery is actually short length for him, so he can cut and pull. And as I said, I think it really helps having someone at the other end, like Finn Allen, with a contrasting style. But yeah, when he's playing well, he's so good in all formats of the game. He manoeuvres the ball brilliantly and hits gaps. And, um, you know, not necessarily a six-hitter, but hits good balls for runs, and the way he puts people under pressure without even trying is a real kind of quality that few batters have. So, great to see him in form. Obviously there'll be games where he won't be the guy and other guys need to step up, but hopefully this form just really continues.
(In terms of big hitters, Sam, how does Duckett compare to Allen?) Yeah, obviously difference in stature, isn't he? But, as I said, in this game, there's different ways to skin a cat. And that should be a real lesson, even for myself watching Ben bat at the moment; you should be learning about how he's going about his business, how he's assessing conditions, the bowlers he's looking to take down, uh, because that's batsmanship, and that's a real show of that. Whereas obviously Finn has out-and-out power, like Tim David as well. Two unique profiles of players as well.
(Well, you two did a lovely interview together at the start of the season. I don't know if I should say this to you on live TV, but Ravi's got high aspirations for you, Sam. [laughs]) Well, we had many battles over the years. Battle of the Bridge, which is the biggest rivalry in world cricket: Essex versus Kent. So, we've had our battles over the years, but it's nice to see you doing well, mate. I'm really enjoying it.
(So is he?) It's nice to obviously play in a team that's a great group of people. Cricketers, of course, but a great group of people. And really enjoying my cricket as well. I think, as you said to me before, as you get older, you kind of take a little bit of pressure off yourself, start to kind of get that fun feeling back, taking the pressure off yourself. So yeah, it's nice to be playing well.
(We know how to get the job done. How do you do it at the Rockets? And I suppose it's now two from three. Are you on the right track?) Yeah, exactly. I think that's the key thing, isn't it? It's not getting ahead of yourself. Another really tough game on, on Friday. A great side up there. So yeah, plenty of quality that we're coming up against, but we know the quality we have in our side, and I feel like we're starting to get our rhythm. So, you have to earn the right. Every single game, there's plenty on the line, and in this format and in this competition, you can't afford too many slip-ups. So, yeah, we're a hungry group. Peter Moores, can't speak highly enough of him. He's been brilliant with the group, so hopefully we can keep going.
(Today's Wednesday, isn't it? Friday, trip to Manchester. What are you expecting from the Super Giants? Because they've impressed as well this year.) Yeah, obviously, it'll be interesting to see if it's a fresh pitch. Obviously a lot of power up top again. And, yeah, two quality spinners on a spin-friendly wicket. So how you go about that, you gotta think about your options and five bowling attacks. So yeah, there's different ways, but as I said, they're a quality side. We're gonna have to be right on it."
Quite a one-sided affair in the first of the two Men’s Hundred clashes scheduled. The Trent Rockets make it two-in-two after suffering a defeat in their tournament curtain raiser. The Welsh side will be eyeing to bounce back with full throttle.
That’s it from this contest. Hope you enjoyed the extravaganza. This is Arijit Kundu signing off alongside co-commentator Dev Rajawat and scorer Paras Yadav. Stay tuned!
That’s it from this contest. Hope you enjoyed the extravaganza. This is Arijit Kundu signing off alongside co-commentator Dev Rajawat and scorer Paras Yadav. Stay tuned!