The Hundred has taken on a stronger international identity this season following the arrival of private investment, with more high-profile overseas players, IPL-inspired branding and new owners from India and the United States becoming increasingly visible around the competition.
Trent Rockets, however, have taken a different path. Both their men’s and women’s teams have qualified directly for Sunday’s finals at Lord’s, despite the franchise carrying the lowest valuation when the eight teams were sold last year, at approximately £79 million, or around US$98 million. Unlike several rivals, the Rockets have retained a largely British identity, with London-based asset management firm Cain International as the principal investor and most of the key cricket staff coming from within the domestic game.
Continuity has been central to their success. Peter Moores and Chris Read remain in charge of the men’s and women’s teams respectively, with Moores stepping up from assistant coach, while experienced director of cricket Mick Newell continues to oversee the cricket operation. All three have longstanding links with Nottinghamshire and Trent Bridge.
The new ownership group has largely stayed in the background. Jonathan Goldstein, Cain co-founder, Chelsea FC director and chairman of the Rockets board, has attended matches and taken part in a team golf day. John Knox, chairman of Cricket New South Wales and a partner at fellow investor Ares Management, also made a short visit from Australia. Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly’s involvement has been limited largely to the initial investment.
While other franchises changed names, colours and staff following new ownership, Rockets have retained much of their previous structure. Newell has continued to manage cricket operations without significant outside interference, giving the franchise a level of continuity that has made them look like an established sixth-year team rather than one undergoing a relaunch.
The results have reflected that stability. Across the men’s and women’s competitions, Trent Rockets have won 13 matches and lost only three. They became the first franchise in the six-year history of The Hundred to finish top of both tables.
They also comfortably secured the new Helix trophy, introduced by the ECB this season to combine results from the men’s and women’s teams and crown an overall franchise champion. Rockets confirmed that title before the group stage had even concluded.
Leadership at the Core
Trent Rockets have also placed significant trust in two experienced captains.
Sam Billings arrived with added motivation after being released by MI London, formerly Oval Invincibles, with little communication. He now has the opportunity to lift The Hundred trophy for a fourth consecutive season.
Women’s captain Ash Gardner, meanwhile, has dealt with public attention surrounding her private life following Australia’s T20 World Cup victory without allowing it to disrupt her leadership on the field.
One of the most important influences on the franchise’s recruitment strategy came well before the tournament began. Earlier this year, Rockets brought in Jamestown Analytics, an offshoot of Tony Bloom’s Starlizard betting consultancy, with Goldstein’s football connections helping facilitate the arrangement.
The analysts assisted with recruitment planning and were present at the auction table in March.
A Disciplined Auction Strategy
On the surface, Trent Rockets’ auctions appeared difficult. Their women’s team secured only one of the first 11 players they bid for, while the men landed just one of their first 12 targets.
However, those involved viewed the approach as deliberate. Rockets entered with a small group of priority targets but were prepared to walk away once bidding exceeded predetermined valuations.
Newell controlled the auction paddle, with Moores and Read retaining final authority on potential signings. Jamestown Analytics also strongly recommended certain players, most notably Australian left-arm spinner Samantha Bates.
The uncapped Bates became the final overseas signing of the women’s auction when Rockets secured her for her £15,000 base price. Heading into the final, she is the team’s leading wicket-taker this season.
Experience and leadership were among the main characteristics Rockets targeted, resulting in two of the competition’s older squads. However, much of their recruitment work had already been completed before the auction.
Each team was permitted four pre-auction signings, and Rockets secured Tim David, Ben Duckett, Mitchell Santner and Tom Banton for the men, while Nat Sciver-Brunt, Gardner, Sophia Dunkley and Kim Garth joined the women’s squad.
Men Change Their Approach
The men’s team entered 2026 after losing last year’s final. They had won four home matches on dry, spin-friendly surfaces but wanted to develop a more adaptable and aggressive style that could succeed in different conditions.
That led to the difficult decision to release Joe Root after five seasons with the franchise.
Their biggest financial commitment was Tim David, signed for £350,000. The investment has yet to produce the expected return, although Billings publicly backed him earlier this week as “the best player in the world in this format”.
Moores believes the experience within the squad has played an important role in how quickly the group has come together. Finn Allen, at 27, is the youngest player to have appeared for the men this season.
Their fielding has been particularly impressive, highlighted by David’s outstanding catch to dismiss James Vince and Duckett’s direct-hit run-out of Nicholas Pooran within three deliveries at The Oval last weekend.
“It was one of the best fielding performances I’ve seen from anybody, ever,” Moores says.
“It’s a great advert for Carl [Hopkinson, Rockets’ fielding coach], who has been doing the work with them,” Moores adds, “but fielding is also a good indicator of how connected the group are, because it’s the thing we do together. You have to put energy into what isn’t your main skill, and it often is a bit of an indicator of where a team’s at.”
Dunkley Leads Women’s Batting Charge
Sophia Dunkley has emerged as the leading run-scorer for the women’s team after overcoming the disappointment of losing her England place during a home T20 World Cup.
Her performances have comfortably surpassed those of £210,000 signing Beth Mooney.
Nat Sciver-Brunt has been restricted to five appearances because of her persistent calf problem, but when available she has produced exceptional numbers, averaging 64.33 with a strike rate of 164.95.
“I’ve felt in a pretty good space in my cricket for most of the season,” Dunkley says. “It’s nice to contribute to the team and have that freedom at the top of the order… We’ve just tried to be aggressive and are lucky to have really great depth in our batting line-up. We’re able to go hard early and it’s worked on a few occasions. We’ve managed to put some good scores on and chase them down.”
Not Everything Has Gone to Plan
Despite their success, Rockets have not made every decision perfectly.
The men surprisingly left £73,000 unused at the auction, while wristspinner Calvin Harrison only joined as a late replacement for injured seamer Brad Currie and has subsequently become one of their standout performers.
There has also been an element of fortune. Billings has won seven of eight tosses, while Gardner has won five, a useful advantage in a short four-week competition.
The broader comparison is with Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural IPL season in 2008. They were the lowest-valued franchise and spent less on their squad than any other team, yet won the tournament through a combination of analytics, flexibility and strong leadership.
Trent Rockets have followed a similarly efficient model in The Hundred 2026. With both teams now preparing for finals at Lord’s, the only remaining requirement is to convert that work into trophies.
