Trent Rockets held their nerves and won a close encounter against Northern Superchargers to make it 2 wins out of 2 games. This was Rockets’ first home game and they delighted the home fans with a good win. Trent Rockets restricted Northern Superchargers to 124/9 in 100 balls with only Harry Brook and Graham Clark making meaningful contributions with the bat for Superchargers while Akeal Hosein, Samuel James Cook, Rehan Ahmed, and Marcus Stoinis picking up 2 wickets apiece.
In reply chasing 125 for the win, Trent Rockets rode on Tom Banton’s 37, Joe Root’s 20 and Rehan Ahmed’s 31 to guide the chase home as the hosts got over the line with 5 wickets and 4 balls to spare winning in 96 balls. Imad Wasim picked up 3 wickets while Adil Rashid picked up 2 for Superchargers but it was not enough as the hosts got over the line with a few balls to spare.
All-round bowling effort keeps Northern Superchargers down to 124/9.
Put into bat first, Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan came out to open the batting for Northern Superchargers while David Willey had ball in hand for Trent Rockets. Malan made his intentions clear as he hit Willey for a boundary through the covers. Akeal Hosein came to bowl the next set and immediately got the breakthrough as he dismissed Malan for 4 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name.
Hosein bowled it from around the wicket tossed up delivery around off slower through the air gripping and turning back in. Malan got down on one knee and went for the wild slog sweep. He got beaten on the inside edge and was wrapped up in front. Michael Pepper came out to bat next. Hosein struck again getting rid of Zak Crawley for 2 off 4 balls.
Akeal tossed it up around middle and leg stump gripping and turning away from the batter. Crawley went down on one knee and looked to play the sweep shot. He was through the shot way too early and got beaten on the inside edge and wore it on the back pad. It was given NOT OUT but on replays it was Three Reds as DRS was used to overturn the decision. Captain Harry Brook came out to bat next. Brook hit Akeal Hosein via a reverse sweep for a boundary.
Samuel James Cook came into the attack and was hit for a boundary by Pepper. But Cook hit back getting rid of Pepper for 6 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. Cook bowled a short of a good length around middle and leg, Pepper made room for himself and looked to play the square cut. Cook followed him and the batter was cramped for room. He mistimed the square cut uppishly and Root took a fine catch at short third man. Daniel Lawrence came out to bat next.
Brook took the attack to Hosein hitting him for a maximum, the first of the day and also hit a boundary as well. After the first 25 balls of powerplay, Northern Superchargers were 29/3. Lockie Ferguson came into the attack after the powerplay. He bowled a decent set and now Rehan Ahmed was introduced into the attack. Rehan struck straightaway getting rid of Lawrence for 2 off 5 balls.
Rehan bowled a short of a length delivery around leg pitching and skidding through the surface, Lawrence rocked back and looked to play the pull shot. He was rushed at it and got beaten on the inside edge. The ball crashed onto the leg stump. Graham Clark came in next and survived a close LBW shout as umpire’s call went with him. Brook then survived a close caught behind as the fielding team burnt the review.
Clark broke the shackles a little bit hitting a boundary off Ferguson. Harry Brook then hit Cook for a couple of boundaries in 5 balls as Northern Superchargers reached 58/4 after 50 balls at the halfway stage of the innings. Graham Clark got into the act as he hit Rehan for consecutive boundaries to start the next set. David Willey was taken to the cleaners by Brook as he smashed him for a maximum followed by a boundary.
Akeal was back into the attack but he was dispatched by Clark for the maximum. Marcus Stoinis came into the attack and he broke the budding partnership getting rid of Brook for 45 off 30 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Stoinis bowled a short and slow ball outside off, Brook looked to pull it away but miscued it to deep square leg. Rehan Ahmed and Lockie Ferguson circled around it before Rehan got down on his knee to take the catch. Imad Wasim came in next and fell first ball to Stoinis who was on a hat-trick.
Stoinis bowled a length delivery outside leg stump, Imad walked down a touch and flicked it straight down the throat of the man at deep backward square leg. Cook made no mistake. Tom Lawes came and faced the hat-trick ball and negotiated it well. Clark got a reprieve when Stoinis put him down at long-on off Rehan. Clark added salt to the wounds hitting Rehan for a boundary. But Rehan had his revenge getting rid of Clark for 36 off 22 balls with 4 fours and a maximum to his name.
Rehan bowled a short leg break, Clark rocked back to pull but mistimed it to long-on. Adam Hose ran in from the fence and slid to complete a fine catch. Matthew Potts came out to bat next. After 75 balls, Superchargers were 97/7. The 100 came up for the visitors in 77 balls. Runs were coming in singles for the next few sets. Cook had his man as he dismissed Lawes for 4 off 9 balls.
Cook bowled it short and wide of off-stump, Lawes looked to cut it but nicked it behind to Tom Banton who made no mistake with the catch. Adil Rashid came to the crease next. Ferguson got rid of Rashid for a silver duck. Lockie bowled a yorker on off-stump, Rashid tried to squeeze it through third man but he missed it as the stumps were rattled. Mohammad Amir came out to bat at 11. He got off the mark as well.
Amir used the long handle well as he hit Cook for a boundary and launched him into the stands for a maximum down the ground. In the end, Northern Superchargers finished with 124/9 in 100 balls with Amir on 11* off 4 balls with a boundary and six to his name while Potts remained unbeaten on 12 off 13 balls. 2 extras given by the fielding side.
Akeal Hosein bowled well in the powerplay finishing with 2/28 in 20 balls. Samuel James Cook finished with 2/32 in 20 balls. Rehan Ahmed finished with 2/23 in 20 balls. Marcus Stoinis bowled 5 balls and gave away 0 runs for 2 wickets. Lockie Ferguson finished with 1/18 in 20 balls. David Willey gave 22 runs in 15 balls. It meant that Trent Rockets needed 125 to win off 100 balls.
Tom Banton, Rehan Ahmed takes Trent Rockets over the line
Chasing 125 for the win, Tom Banton and Joe Root came out to open the batting for Trent Rockets while Mohammad Amir had the ball in hand for Superchargers. Amir bowled a decent first set while Imad Wasim was introduced to bowl the next set. Banton hit the first boundary off the game off Wasim. Banton survived a stumping appeal off Wasim as his back foot was grounded inside the crease. Banton managed to get another boundary away off Wasim.
Matthew Potts was introduced into the attack and Banton hit him for a boundary through fine leg. Amir kept it tight from one end. But Banton once again took the attack to Potts hitting him for a boundary before Root joined the party and hit him over deep midwicket for a maximum. Banton managed to get another boundary away over mid-off as Trent Rockets reached 40/0 after the first 25 balls of powerplay.
Adil Rashid was introduced after the powerplay as Banton hit him for a boundary as he looked great out there. Daniel Lawrence was welcomed to the bowling attack by a boundary from Joe Root. Banton hit another boundary off Lawrence as Rockets were running away with the contest. Imad Wasim came back into the attack and provided the breakthrough for the visitors getting rid of Banton for 37 off 25 balls with 7 boundaries to his name.
Wasim bowled it full outside off and sliding in, Banton looked to sweep but the ball went under the bat and struck the middle and leg stump. Rehan Ahmed came to the crease next. Adil Rashid kept things tight as usual. Rehan broke the shackles a little bit hitting a boundary off Wasim. But Wasim soon had joy for him and his team as he dismissed Root for 20 off 17 balls with a boundary and six to his name. Wasim tossed it up around off, gripping and turning away. Root leant forward and looked to work it away on the leg side. He folded his bat a bit early and chipped it back to Wasim who took an easy catch. Max Holden walked out to bat next.
Rehan was put down by Wasim off his own bowling as he could not dive properly to take the catch. After 50 balls at the halfway stage of the chase, Trent Rockets were 66/2 in 50 balls requiring a further 59 runs off the back 50 balls. Daniel Lawrence bowled a decent set while Amir continued to keep things tight. Lawrence once again bowled well as runs were coming in singles with the boundaries having dried up. The pressure got the better of Max Holden as he departed for 8 off 11 balls to Adil Rashid.
Rashid flights it full at the stumps, Holden made room for himself and lofted it aerially straight downtown. He didn’t get any elevation on the ball as Crawley at long-off settled underneath it to take the catch. Tom Alsop came out to bat with the equation now 41 off 30 balls. Alsop broke the shackles a little bit as he hit Lawrence for a boundary. After 75 balls, Trent Rockets were 91/3 and required 34 runs off 25 balls.
Alsop got a fortunate boundary off Amir but they all counted at the end of the day. The 100 came up for the Rockets in 79 balls while Rehan launched Amir for a maximum over deep backward square leg. Alsop then hit Rashid for a boundary before getting off strike while Rehan also hit Rashid for a boundary via a slog sweep. But Rashid hit back getting rid of Rehan for 31 off 26 balls with 2 fours and a six to his name.
Rashid bowled a flipper on a length around off, Rehan rocked back and looked to play the square cut. He failed to read the variation from Rashid. He missed it completely and the ball crashed onto the stumps. Marcus Stoinis came out to bat next. Stoinis got off the mark while Wasim struck again getting rid of Alsop for 15 off 9 balls with 3 fours to his name.
Imad bowled a short ball fired around leg, Alsop rocked back and swung his bat across the line. He went for the shot a fraction too early and got a bottom edge which rocked back onto the stumps. The ball dropped on the surface and spun back onto the stumps. Adam Hose came out to bat next. Rockets now needed 9 off 10 balls to win this contest. Hose managed to get a boundary away to ease the nerves away from the dressing room. Hose survived a run out opportunity as the direct hit missed and he was not even in the frame.
Marcus Stoinis finished things off in style as he hit a boundary off Matthew Potts through cover point as Rockets were home by 5 wickets with balls to spare. Stoinis was unbeaten on 8 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name while Hose was 5* off 4 balls with a boundary to his name. 4 extras given by the fielding side.
Imad Wasim was the pick of the bowlers for Northern Superchargers with figures of 3/19 in 20 balls. He was ably supported by Adil Rashid who finished with 2/18 in 20 balls. Mohammad Amir bowled well without much luck as he gave away 24 runs in 20 balls without taking a wicket. Matthew Potts and Daniel Lawrence went the distance.
So, Trent Rockets with this win climbed up to 2nd in the table with 8 points while Northern Superchargers are in 4th with 4 points with a win and loss in the tournament so far. For his excellent bowling performance, Akeal Hosein was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
The bandwagon moves to Manchester at Emirates Old Trafford for tonight’s Hundred clash. It is Manchester Originals taking on London Spirit at 11PM IST. Manchester needs a win after losing their opening two games and are languishing at the bottom of the points table while Spirit lost the first game, but came back to win the last game.
So, plenty to play for as we will find out who gets the win tonight as Hundred action continues non-stop through the month of August across England as players are pumped up to give their best.
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