From: Ed Mace
Lord’s, 16 August 2026:
The Trent Rockets won the Women’s Hundred after storming to an eight-wicket win with 46 balls remaining over Sunrisers Leeds at Lord’s on Sunday.
Winning the toss and fielding first, the Rockets skittled Sunrisers for just 91 before knocking off the target with ease to seal their first trophy.
Sunrisers never got going as they lost three wickets in the powerplay in the space of eight balls. Bryony Smith and Lauren Winfield-Hill fell to Kim Garth in consecutive deliveries, made even worse when the premier batter Phoebe Litchfield chipped Charley Phillips to short fine leg.
They were 26-3 at the end of the powerplay but there was a brief glimmer of hope when Annabel Sutherland and Deepti Sharma were still together at the turn of the innings. Sharma was then dismissed from the 50th ball as Phillips claimed her second in a brilliant spell.
Sutherland’s brief resistance was ended four balls later by Georgia Adams which triggered another collapse from the Sunrisers. Jess Jonassen was run out for no score, followed by Darcey Carter who was bowled by Sam Bates first ball.
Captain Dani Gibson scored three consecutive fours on the way to a respectable score of 22 but it was her fellow captain Ash Gardner who was her undoing.
The final three wickets were knocked off for the Rockets without conceding a boundary, with four bowlers claiming two wickets in a brilliant team display in the field, only slightly aided by the surface.
In the chase, Sophia Dunkley and Beth Mooney dominated the powerplay as they raced to 45-0. The one-sided feel to the chase resumed as the pair continued to unleash boundaries on the hapless Sunrisers bowling attack.
The Rockets did lose two quick wickets as Gibson claimed the wicket of Dunkley who finished on 41 from 23 before Nat Sciver-Brunt fell to Sutherland for 4. It left the veteran Aussie duo of Gardner and Mooney to complete the chase, which they did at a canter.
It was a somewhat anti-climactic end to the season given the nature of the contest but the win was fully deserved by the Rockets who had won seven on the spin prior to the final.
The Rockets were the oldest squad in the competition and their experience was on full display throughout the campaign as they took home the first title in the Women’s division.
Scores in brief:
Trent Rockets Women beat Sunrisers Leeds Women by eight wickets
Sunrisers Leeds 91 all out (Annabel Sutherland 25, Dani Gibson 22; Georgia Adams 2-9, Charley Phillips 2-12)
Trent Rockets 92-2 (Sophia Dunkley 41, Beth Mooney 31*; Annabel Sutherland 1-16, Dani Gibson 1-9)
Player of the match: Sophia Dunkley
