Trent Rockets 151 for 4 (Powell 45, Alsop 41*, Hales 35) beat Oval Invincibles 150 for 3 (Malan 53*, Cox 39, Jacks 30) by six wickets
Oval Invincibles missed the chance to confirm their spot in Sunday’s final at Lord’s at Trent Bridge, losing to Trent Rockets thanks to Rovman Powell‘s spectacular hitting.
The Invincibles are still clear favourites to progress directly to the final as group winners, but Birmingham Phoenix could leapfrog them on net run-rate with a huge win over rock-bottom Manchester Originals on Thursday night. The Phoenix would need to win by around 92 runs batting first, or to chase down a target with around 62 balls to spare.
“They’re a very good side,” Sam Billings, the Invincibles’ captain, said. “Their season could have been very different, and we knew it would be a tough match tonight at Trent Bridge, which is a great place to play.
“As for us, a lot of positives tonight, we’ve played a lot of very, very good cricket in this tournament and one defeat doesn’t change that. It’s all about adapting to conditions. The Oval has played very different to Lord’s, but there’s a lot of clarity amongst the group regarding their own roles.”
Coming to the crease with 95 needed from 52 balls and the Rockets three wickets down, Powell joined Tom Alsop to post an 80-run stand from just 32 balls to take the Rockets careening towards the Invincibles total of 150.
Powell’s pyrotechnics delivered four sixes, with one hit off Sam Curran going 101 metres, before Curran induced Powell to miscue a lofted drive to long-on. The Jamaican’s dismissal left the Rockets needing 15 from 10 balls, but Alsop and Chris Green took the home side to victory with six balls to spare.
The last two winners of the Hundred men’s competition have experienced contrasting fortunes this term with the Rockets, 2022 champions, suffering four defeats and already eliminated before Wednesday’s fixture, while the Invincibles have been relentless, winning six of their first seven.
But in front of 12,000 fans at Trent Bridge, there was little between the teams. Choosing to bat first on a pitch taking turn, Invincibles opener Dawid Malan made a composed half-century against his old side, batting through the innings for an unbeaten 53 off 43 balls to allow the hitters to open up around him.
Will Jacks‘ quickfire 30 came from 17 balls ensured that the Invincibles dominated the powerplay, before Jordan Cox smashed a 30-ball 39 in a 71-run partnership with Malan.
Cox succumbed to Sam Cook, whose figures of 2 for 23 were the most economical of the Rockets’ bowlers, giving Donovan Ferreira free rein to boss the latter stages. Ferreira’s unbeaten 27 occupied just 10 balls and featured three successive sixes to haul the Invincibles up to 150 for 3.
Saqib Mahmood, bowling 15 of the first 20 balls of the Rockets innings, was fast and hostile, regularly touching 88mph and accounting for Tom Banton in his opening spell.
A recovery took place between Alex Hales and Joe Root but when Hales, on 35, misjudged a pull to give Jacks his first wicket, followed by Root lofting a Nathan Sowter leg-break to Curran at long-on, the Invincibles were strong favourites. Step forward Powell and Alsop, who gave Rockets fans a reminder of their quality.
