1:12 AM IST & 8:42 PM Local Time: That’s a wrap from Trent Bridge! The Rockets cruise home with a 5-wicket win, sealing the chase with 4 balls to spare. Chasing sides continue to dominate this season — that’s now 7 wins in 8 matches for the team batting second in the Men’s Hundred.
David Willey’s decision to bowl first paid immediate dividends. Akeal Hosein was on song, trapping both Malan and Crawley LBW in the same set, before Sam Cook removed Pepper for just 6. The Superchargers were three down inside the Powerplay, with Daniel Lawrence also departing early.
Harry Brook and Graham Clark then steadied the ship with a 56-run stand for the fifth wicket, but Willey’s bowling change paid off as Marcus Stoinis struck twice in two balls—dismissing Brook for 45 and sending Imad Wasim back first ball. Clark, who had an early reprieve, couldn’t make it count and fell for 36 to Rehan Ahmed, sparking another collapse. Some late boundaries only lifted the total to 124/9 from the 100 balls, with Akeal Hosein, Sam Cook, Rehan Ahmed and Marcus Stoinis all picking up two wickets apiece.
The Rockets’ chase got off to a positive start, with Tom Banton’s 37 off 25 setting the tone—making the most of the pace on offer and targeting the shorter square boundaries. Joe Root chipped in with a classy 20 off 17, rotating the strike to keep things under control. By the end of the Powerplay, the hosts were already ahead of the required rate.
The Superchargers fought back in the middle overs as their spinners tightened the screws, drying up the boundaries. Imad Wasim struck twice in quick succession, removing both Root and Banton, while Adil Rashid accounted for Rehan Ahmed (31) and Max Holden (8) to keep the pressure on. A couple of brisk sets late in the innings broke the shackles, with Tom Alsop’s quick cameo and the finishing touches from Marcus Stoinis and Adam Hose sealing the deal. Both struck boundaries to wrap up a 5-wicket win with 4 balls to spare—marking the Rockets’ second victory of the season.