Trent Rockets secured a dominant victory over Welsh Fire in The Hundred men’s competition at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, winning by nine wickets while chasing a target of 123 runs.
Welsh Fire batted first and accumulated 122-7 across their 100 balls. The home side struggled early, with Phil Salt and Joe Root both dismissed cheaply by Matt Henry. Matt Short provided the most substantial contribution from Fire’s top order, scoring 36 from 26 balls. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner was particularly effective with the ball, taking three wickets for 35 runs, including Jordan Cox’s dismissal immediately after Cox had struck three consecutive sixes.
Trent Rockets’ pursuit of the target proved straightforward against a two-paced wicket. The visiting team’s opening partnership between Ben Duckett and Finn Allen produced a 75-run stand that set the foundation for the chase. Allen accelerated the scoring rate with 33 runs from 19 balls before being dismissed by Rachin Ravindra. Duckett continued accumulating runs cautiously, finishing unbeaten on 52 from 45 balls for his seventh half-century in the competition’s history. Tom Banton contributed an unbeaten 31 from 15 balls to complete the formalities, with Rockets reaching their target with 28 balls remaining.
The victory extended Rockets’ success on the day after their women’s side had also won comfortably earlier. Seven free hits conceded by Fire’s bowling attack contributed to their defensive shortcomings. The result improved Rockets’ record to two wins from three matches in the current season.
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