Trent Rockets secured their place in the knockout phase of the competition after a clinical nine-wicket victory against MI London at the Kia Oval. The win marks a fifth consecutive success for the Rockets, who now look ahead to a potential final appearance if they defeat Southern Brave in their upcoming group match at Trent Bridge on Monday.
The victory was set up by Australian left-arm spinner Sam Bates, who delivered a miserly spell to stifle the MI London batting lineup. Bates claimed 3 wickets for just 13 runs from her 20 deliveries, bowling 12 dot balls in the process. Her performance moved her to the top of the competition’s wicket-taking charts as MI London, who have already been eliminated, were restricted to a total of 121 for 5.
MI London initially showed promise by reaching 28 for 0, but the innings collapsed once Bates trapped Hayley Matthews lbw. Following a cheap dismissal of Hollie Armitage by Charley Phillips, Bates struck twice in consecutive deliveries to remove Kira Chathli, who scored 31 from 27 balls, and Nicola Carey, who was dismissed first ball via a smart stumping from Beth Mooney. Although Alice Monaghan, Melie Kerr, and Chinelle Henry attempted to stabilize the innings, the final total proved insufficient against the in-form Rockets.
Despite losing tournament leading-scorer Sophia Dunkley to a third-ball duck against Tara Norris, the Rockets cruised to their target with 18 balls remaining. Nat Sciver-Brunt finished unbeaten on 67 from 36 deliveries, marking her first half-century of the tournament, while Beth Mooney contributed 54 not out from 44 balls. Their partnership of 118 runs stands as the second-highest in the history of the women's competition.
Reflecting on the result, Sciver-Brunt praised her team's explosive batting lineup and expressed her satisfaction with Mooney’s return to form, noting that the opener had been eager to contribute more significantly with the bat.
Sciver-Brunt, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: "Another good performance today. Throughout the tournament our batting line-up has been explosive and we really wanted to get ahead of the game."
Natalie Sciver player page headshot cutout, 2021
