Trent Rockets Women confirmed their place in the knockout stage of The Hundred 2026 after producing a nine-wicket victory over MI London Women at The Oval on August 8.
Samantha Bates starred with the ball by taking 3 for 13 as MI London were restricted to 121 for 5. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Beth Mooney then struck unbeaten half-centuries in a commanding chase, helping the Rockets reach 125 for 1 with 18 balls remaining.
The result marked Trent Rockets’ fifth consecutive victory and guaranteed them a top-three finish.
Bates Leads Excellent Bowling Display
MI London were asked to bat first but found it difficult to generate momentum during the early stages. Hayley Matthews and Kira Chathli added 28 for the opening wicket, although both struggled to score freely.
Bates provided the first breakthrough by trapping Matthews lbw for 10 from 10 balls.
From there, the Rockets tightened their grip on the innings. Dot balls increased the pressure and wickets began to fall regularly, leaving MI London struggling at 49 for 4 around the halfway stage.
Bates finished with excellent figures of 3 for 13 and played a major role in keeping the hosts under control.
MI London Struggle Through Middle Phase
Amelia Kerr attempted to rebuild alongside Alice Monaghan, but Trent Rockets continued to restrict the scoring rate. Even with Kerr at the crease, MI London struggled to find enough boundaries to accelerate through the middle part of the innings.
Chinelle Henry eventually provided some much-needed late momentum.
She struck four boundaries during an aggressive cameo that helped MI London push beyond a run-a-ball scoring rate and reach 121 for 5.
However, the total still appeared below par against the tournament leaders.
Dunkley Falls Early
Trent Rockets suffered an early setback when in-form opener Sophia Dunkley was bowled for a duck.
The dismissal briefly offered MI London hope, but Sciver-Brunt joined Mooney and immediately took control of the chase.
The pair combined intelligent rotation of strike with regular boundary-hitting, ensuring the required rate never became a concern.
Sciver-Brunt Produces Explosive Half-Century
Sciver-Brunt was the more aggressive of the two batters. She raced to her fifty from just 27 balls, finding the boundary nine times and clearing the ropes once.
Her innings continued to gather momentum as the target approached, while Mooney played the perfect supporting role at the other end.
The Australian batter focused on keeping the scoreboard moving and punished loose deliveries whenever they arrived.
Together, they completely removed any pressure from the chase.
Mooney and Sciver-Brunt Share Unbeaten 118-Run Stand
The pair added an unbeaten 118 runs for the second wicket, taking Trent Rockets from 7 for 1 to victory at 125 for 1.
Mooney finished unbeaten on 54 from 44 balls, including six fours.
Sciver-Brunt remained not out on 67 from just 36 deliveries, striking nine fours and one six.
Once the Rockets passed the 100-run mark, the result was never in serious doubt. They completed the chase after only 82 deliveries, leaving 18 balls unused.
Sciver-Brunt Named Match Hero
Sciver-Brunt was named Meerkat Match Hero after her outstanding innings.
“Another good performance today. Throughout the tournament our batting line-up has been explosive and we really wanted to get ahead of the game,” she said.
The England captain also praised Mooney for returning to form.
“I’m really pleased for Beth. She’s been wanting to be involved in the game a little bit more with the bat. She wants a few more runs. She stuck in there and played a great innings today.”
Rockets Can Now Target Direct Final Qualification
With their place in the top three already secured, Trent Rockets can now turn their attention towards qualifying directly for the final.
A victory over Southern Brave in their final group-stage match at Trent Bridge on Monday would confirm their place in the title decider.
After five successive wins and another dominant all-round performance, the Rockets head into the decisive stage of the tournament as one of the strongest teams in the competition.
