Trent Rockets 166-4 (100 balls): Hales 68 (42); Gleeson 2-32
London Spirit 144 all out (97 balls): Critchley 37 (30); Rashid 4-24
Trent Rockets won by 22 runs
Alex Hales delivered a brilliant performance, scoring 68 off 42 balls, and Rashid Khan claimed four wickets in an exceptional spell, leading Trent Rockets to a 22-run victory over London Spirit in the men's Hundred at Trent Bridge.
The former England batsman Hales hit three fours and five sixes, guiding the Rockets to 166-4. He formed a solid 69-run partnership with Tom Banton (36 off 25) and a 58-run stand with Joe Root (32 off 23), capitalising on some erratic bowling from the Spirit.
In their chase, London Spirit struggled and fell to 52-5, unable to handle Rashid's leg-spin (4-24), who took two wickets in consecutive balls and claimed another with his final delivery. Matt Critchley’s 37 off 30 balls offered some resistance, but the Spirit were bowled out for 144 in 97 balls.
This victory propels the Rockets to third place in the standings, while London Spirit remains in seventh after suffering their fourth loss in five games.
Key Highlights:
- Tom Banton is now second in the list of top run-scorers for this year's men's Hundred with 170 runs in five innings. James Vince of Southern Brave leads with 258 runs.
- Rashid Khan, facing just one ball, hit it for a six.
- Andre Russell of London Spirit launched a massive 107-metre six before being dismissed for 23 off 15 balls.
- Rockets’ bowler John Turner was taken out of the attack after delivering two successive beamers to Russell.
Rashid Khan's Reaction
Match hero Rashid Khan expressed satisfaction with his performance, pinpointing the importance of targeting the right areas. He noted that the majority of his deliveries were spot-on, contributing to his success.