118/7 (19.3)
CR : 6.05
117/5 (20.0)
CR : 5.85
Trent Rockets Women won by 3 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Nat Sciver-Brunt
32(19)
And then came the collapse. Georgia Adams removed Maia Bouchier for 38 off 33, leaving Brave at 99/3 after 85 balls. Adams struck again immediately, bowling Jodi Grewcock for a first-ball duck. Phoebe Franklin then fell to Samantha Bates for 2 off 4. Five wickets were down. Only 15 balls remained. Charli Knott managed a useful 15 off 10*, while Naomi Dattani added 3*. But Brave could muster only 117/5 from their 100 balls, scoring just 18 runs from the final 15. Georgia Adams was superb with 2/14, while Garth, Bates and Elwiss took one apiece. The target was just 118.
What happened after Lee's dismissal? Laura Wolvaardt walked in and immediately kept the innings moving. She and Bouchier added 46 for the second wicket, taking Brave to 79/1 after 70 balls. The strategic timeout arrived with the innings still in the balance. Wolvaardt made 24 off 21, including two fours, but Kim Garth then produced the breakthrough on ball 79. The Brave captain chipped one straight to Ashleigh Gardner at mid-off. Suddenly, the acceleration had disappeared again. Bouchier was still there. Could she finish strongly? The Rockets had other plans.
Let's rewind the match again....
So, how did Southern Brave begin? Carefully. Very carefully. Maia Bouchier and Lizelle Lee refused to panic against Kim Garth and Samantha Bates. The Powerplay produced 25/0 after 25 balls, with Bouchier on 12 and Lee on 13. No wickets. No unnecessary risks. Just a solid foundation. The first-wicket stand reached 49, but Georgia Elwiss finally broke it on ball 47, removing Lee for 31 off 28. Five boundaries. A decent platform. But with the qualification equation demanding a huge margin, was decent ever going to be enough?
So, how did Southern Brave begin? Carefully. Very carefully. Maia Bouchier and Lizelle Lee refused to panic against Kim Garth and Samantha Bates. The Powerplay produced 25/0 after 25 balls, with Bouchier on 12 and Lee on 13. No wickets. No unnecessary risks. Just a solid foundation. The first-wicket stand reached 49, but Georgia Elwiss finally broke it on ball 47, removing Lee for 31 off 28. Five boundaries. A decent platform. But with the qualification equation demanding a huge margin, was decent ever going to be enough?
10:10 PM IST, 5:40 PM LOCAL TIME: Trent Rockets have booked their place in the final. Could Southern Brave reach the required 94-run winning margin and qualify directly? No. Could Trent Rockets chase 118 and secure the top spot? Yes. They won by three wickets with two balls remaining, finishing on 118/7 from 98 balls. Brave had started steadily, but never found the acceleration they needed. Rockets started disastrously at 10/3. Then Ashleigh Gardner, Bess Heath and Nat Sciver-Brunt changed the story. One team needed a statement win. The other simply needed a win. Guess which proved easier?
Hero of the Match: Nat Sciver-Brunt
Nat Sciver-Brunt (Hero of the Match): "[On her knock] Happy to be here on the winning side. The wicket was a bit slow. They bowled very well in the first half of the batting side. Happy to get on the winning side.
[Reason behind her batting lower down the order?] We have probably batted well as a side. The chance for the others to have a hit. A little bit of body management as well. Happy to get at Lord’s.
[What has been the secret of their performance this season?] I guess we have got a lot of people in form and high in confidence. The bowlers have bowled with discipline. High on confidence is the main thing.
[How will they prepare for the Sunday's Final?] I guess building up to Sunday now, we know what to do. A couple of days to refresh before we come back to London.
[On playing here at Trent Bridge] We have got special fans. Great atmosphere here and thankfully, we got a couple of wins here."
[Reason behind her batting lower down the order?] We have probably batted well as a side. The chance for the others to have a hit. A little bit of body management as well. Happy to get at Lord’s.
[What has been the secret of their performance this season?] I guess we have got a lot of people in form and high in confidence. The bowlers have bowled with discipline. High on confidence is the main thing.
[How will they prepare for the Sunday's Final?] I guess building up to Sunday now, we know what to do. A couple of days to refresh before we come back to London.
[On playing here at Trent Bridge] We have got special fans. Great atmosphere here and thankfully, we got a couple of wins here."
Ash Gardner (Trent Rockets Women Captain): (On Trent Rockets' consistent campaign) "I feel like we've played some really consistent cricket throughout the tournament. We've put ourselves in the best position to be able to win the title. I've never played the playoffs for Trent Rockets, so to be able to lead this side this year, with a lot of change, has been fantastic. It's been great to see the girls go about it in their own unique ways and to have that success along the way going into the final is certainly pretty pleasing.
(On momentum and going straight into the final) Momentum is a fantastic thing in these competitions. Playing the Eliminator is good to get an extra game, but you're never going to say no to going straight into a final and knowing you don't need to play that extra game. For us, different people have stood up at different times, and we're not relying on one or two players. Having that experience within our side has been a fantastic option to have, so it's been really nice throughout the whole tournament.
(On what Trent Rockets means to her) When I think about Trent Rockets, it's almost like a family. Everyone's quite relaxed, even from the top down. To be involved in a franchise that thinks of you as a person, puts you as a person first, and then respects you as a player as well, is really important. That certainly comes from the top. We've been able to put a really good team together, certainly the most well-balanced team we've ever had. I've spoken throughout the tournament about how much experience we've got. The average age is around 29 or 30, and there aren't many other teams that have the luxury of throwing the ball to anyone in those big moments and knowing they're going to be calm under pressure. It's been really nice to have that experience as a captain and to be able to chat with other players as well.
(On the hard-fought win and Nat Sciver-Brunt batting at No. 7) Throughout the tournament, we've been tested at different times and found ways to win. The one loss we had was fought right to the end as well. Being able to put ourselves in winning positions and actually get across the line is pleasing. Today was probably the most we've been challenged recently. Having someone like Nat Sciver come in at number seven is an absolute privilege. It was tactical for her health, but she's fine. She played an amazing innings and was the match hero. She did what the team wanted her to do, and she's a class act, so she obviously sees the game the way she does."
(On momentum and going straight into the final) Momentum is a fantastic thing in these competitions. Playing the Eliminator is good to get an extra game, but you're never going to say no to going straight into a final and knowing you don't need to play that extra game. For us, different people have stood up at different times, and we're not relying on one or two players. Having that experience within our side has been a fantastic option to have, so it's been really nice throughout the whole tournament.
(On what Trent Rockets means to her) When I think about Trent Rockets, it's almost like a family. Everyone's quite relaxed, even from the top down. To be involved in a franchise that thinks of you as a person, puts you as a person first, and then respects you as a player as well, is really important. That certainly comes from the top. We've been able to put a really good team together, certainly the most well-balanced team we've ever had. I've spoken throughout the tournament about how much experience we've got. The average age is around 29 or 30, and there aren't many other teams that have the luxury of throwing the ball to anyone in those big moments and knowing they're going to be calm under pressure. It's been really nice to have that experience as a captain and to be able to chat with other players as well.
(On the hard-fought win and Nat Sciver-Brunt batting at No. 7) Throughout the tournament, we've been tested at different times and found ways to win. The one loss we had was fought right to the end as well. Being able to put ourselves in winning positions and actually get across the line is pleasing. Today was probably the most we've been challenged recently. Having someone like Nat Sciver come in at number seven is an absolute privilege. It was tactical for her health, but she's fine. She played an amazing innings and was the match hero. She did what the team wanted her to do, and she's a class act, so she obviously sees the game the way she does."
So, what decided this match? The first innings was steady, but Southern Brave never got the acceleration required for their qualification equation. Gardner's counterattack revived the Rockets. Sciver-Brunt's late burst finished the job. Brave had opportunities. Rockets simply kept finding another answer.
Trent Rockets win by three wickets and advance directly to the final. Southern Brave miss out on direct qualification and will now have to go through the Eliminator.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentator, Akshay Bhide, and scorer Zeeshan Naiyer. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. But cricket doesn’t sleep. Plenty is happening around the world. Switch tabs, follow the fun. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!