All-rounder Nadine de Klerk smashed two sixes in the final four balls to seal a tense five-wicket win for London Spirit over Trent Rockets with three balls to spare at Trent Bridge, bouncing back from an early-season stumble in the women’s competition.
The Hundred women’s competition shifted gears in Nottingham as London Spirit captured their first victory of the campaign. Chasing a target of 143, Spirit found themselves in deep trouble at 67-4 after losing four quick wickets for just 12 runs. The top-order collapse threatened to waste a positive start from opener Grace Harris, who had struck 37 runs from 20 deliveries before departing.
What followed was a rebuilding effort that changed the trajectory of the match. De Klerk and Marie Kelly combined for a crucial counter-attacking partnership of 63 runs from 37 balls to steady the chase. While Kelly experienced a slow start—stuttering to 12 runs from 13 balls—she eventually accelerated to score 39 from 26 deliveries before her departure with 13 runs still needed for victory.
South African Duo Sets the Tone in Nottingham
Before the run chase unfolded, Spirit’s bowling attack had laid the groundwork. Fellow South African Marizanne Kapp delivered a stellar opening spell, finishing with figures of 3-12 from 20 balls. Kapp recorded bowling figures of 3-12 from 20 balls—she only conceded her first run off the bat from her 11th delivery—after she bowled Beth Mooney first ball before removing Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff.
Despite Kapp’s early dominance, Trent Rockets mounted a recovery. Home captain Ash Gardner top-scored with 34 runs from 22 balls, while Bess Heath contributed a dynamic 31 off 19 deliveries to lead Rockets’ recovery to 142-7. Gardner was eventually caught on the boundary off the bowling of England’s Charlie Dean, who chipped in with a disciplined 2-18 to help Spirit keep the run-rate under control as the Rockets’ lower order struggled for meaningful support. Highlights for Rockets on Sunday included Sophia Dunkley (23 off 15) slamming three boundaries in a row off Deandra Dottin, whose figures read an eye-watering 0-32 from 10 balls after Ash Gardner and Sophie Luff (24 off 19) collared her later on.
De Klerk Delivers Under Pressure as Spirit Seal First Win
With heavy-hitter Deandra Dottin waiting in the dugout, the onus fell on the finishers as the game went deep. Rockets bowlers tightened the screws, but De Klerk proved her mettle. Known in recent years for her composure at the death as a finisher in the past couple of years, she whacked two sixes in the last four balls in a nerveless knock of 41 not out from 22 balls, backed up by Marie Kelly (39), securing victory with three balls to spare, hitting the winning six off Georgia Adams over deep square leg. De Klerk was nailed for three fours on the trot by Gardner but it was her own boundary hitting that ended up clinching the game, with two fours and three sixes including a late maximum off a Gardner full toss, crunched over the covers.
The away side bounced back from an opening defeat to Manchester Super Giants in which they were rolled for 80, with Rockets unable to build on a nine-wicket drubbing of Birmingham Phoenix that saw them raze their fellow Midlanders for just 64. Both teams have one win from two so far, but Rockets are more comfortable at third in the table with a superior net run-rate.
Table Standings and Monday’s Double-Header Schedule
Elsewhere in the competition, the earlier match between Manchester Super Giants and Birmingham Phoenix was abandoned without a ball bowled at Old Trafford. In the day’s other women’s match, Super Giants and Phoenix were thwarted by the rain at Emirates Old Trafford with no play possible in their scheduled 11am start.
What is happening in The Hundred on Monday? After the four-games-a-day set-up at the weekend, Monday sees a return to a single double-header with Southern Brave’s women’s side hosting MI London from 3pm before the men’s sides square off from 6.30pm. In the women’s competition, the home side will be looking to keep their place at the top of the table after two wins so far, while MI London are still searching for their first victory. They face each other at 15:00 BST. Brave’s men are also still waiting for their first win and their match follows at 18:30. Catch both fixtures live on Sky Sports, and you can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
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