All-rounder Nadine de Klerk smashed two sixes in the final four balls to seal a tense five-wicket win for London Spirit against Trent Rockets with three balls to spare during The Hundred women’s competition at Trent Bridge.
The script for London Spirit’s first win of the season rarely follows a straight line. Chasing a target of 143 at Trent Bridge, the innings stuttered badly when four wickets tumbled for just 12 runs, leaving the side reeling at 67-4 and threatening to render a brisk 37 from opener Grace Harris entirely academic. What followed was a calculated rescue mission that reshaped the afternoon.
De Klerk and Kelly Turn the Tide After Early Collapse
With the required run rate climbing, Nadine de Klerk and Marie Kelly combined for a vital, counter-attacking stand of 63 runs from 37 balls. Kelly initially labored to 12 from 13 deliveries while heavy-hitting teammate Deandra Dottin waited in the dugout, prompting a brief spell of nervous murmuring from the stands. Yet Kelly soon found her rhythm, accelerating to score 39 from 26 balls before her departure left the Spirit needing 13 more runs with wickets in hand.
Rockets bowlers tightened the screw to drag the contest deep into the closing sets, but De Klerk proved immovable. The South African all-rounder, who has made a name for herself as a finisher in the past couple of years, held her nerve under intense pressure to finish unbeaten on 41 from 22 balls, sealing the victory with two sixes in the last four balls.
Kapp Sets the Tone Before Rockets Fight Back
The opening stages of the match belonged entirely to the Spirit bowling attack, spearheaded by De Klerk’s compatriot Marizanne Kapp. Operating with lethal precision, Kapp dismissed Beth Mooney with the very first ball of the innings before accounting for Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff to finish with impressive figures of 3-12.
Despite that early damage, Trent Rockets mounted a spirited recovery. Ash Gardner anchored the resistance with 34 runs from 22 balls, while Bess Heath contributed a dynamic 31 off 19 deliveries to push the total to 142-7. Gardner eventually fell on the boundary off England’s Charlie Dean, whose economical 2-18 spell checked the lower-order surge and kept the target within reach.
Early Table Standings and Monday Fixture Outlook
Following the result, both teams hold one win from two matches in the early competition table. The Rockets sit more comfortably in third place due to a superior net run rate. Meanwhile, the day’s earlier fixture between the Manchester Super Giants and Birmingham Phoenix at Old Trafford was abandoned without a ball bowled.
Action shifts quickly to Southampton, where Southern Brave prepare to face MI London in a Monday double-header starting at 15:00 BST. The home side enters looking to keep its place at the top of the women’s standings after two wins so far, while MI London searches for its first victory of the campaign before the men’s fixtures follow at 18:30 BST.
Worth a look
