Opener Dunkley’s imperious innings was aided by a useful contribution from her international team-mate Nat Sciver-Brunt (33 off 25) and a cameo from Bess Heath to leave the Rockets with a middling – but defendable – score of 139-7 after their 100 balls.
Australia star Ash Gardener (1-18) delivered for the home side, taking the early wicket of opener Bryony Smith (10 off 12) and limiting the top-order scoring of Jess Jonassen (19 off 18) and Phoebe Litchfield (24 off 22) to leave SunRisers Leeds well behind the required run-rate at 73-3 off 64 balls.
- Scorecard: Trent Rockets beat SunRisers Leeds by five runs
- Scorecard: MI London vs Manchester Super Giants
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Annabel Sutherland, though, reignited hope for the batting side with a brilliant 59no off 30 deliveries, but it was too little too late for the visitors as some tidy bowling by Kim Garth (0-26) at the death – despite a last-ball maximum by Sutherland – meant the Rockets held on and secured an important victory.
The win consolidates their strong position as they remain second in the table, while SunRisers Leeds, languishing in seventh, take another damaging blow to their Eliminator chances.
Manchester Super Giants leave MI London winless
Manchester Super Giants consolidated their third-place position in The Hundred with a six-wicket win over MI London.
MI London, still without a win and planted firmly at the foot of the table, lost the toss and were asked to bat, and it was imperative that they got off to a decent start in the absence of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, who has been ruled out the remainder of the tournament.
After just eight balls, however, the home side were in trouble. Sophie Ecclestone, opening the bowling for the first time this season, had hit the stumps of both Alice Davidson-Richards and Hayley Matthews and MI London were 1-2.
In a masterly and miserly spell, the England left-arm spinner went on to concede just seven from her 20 balls, the same number she restricted London Spirit to at Lord’s in her first game of The Hundred this season.
Ecclestone also took two catches and effected a direct hit run out but this was not a one-woman show by any means. All of the Super Giants bowlers stepped up and MI London were squeezed incessantly, the visitors expertly marshalled in the field by Meg Lanning, who took three catches in what was an excellent all-round fielding display.
Lanning then got to work with the bat alongside Smriti Mandhana, accumulating just seven in the first 10 balls and 35 in the powerplay before giving the crowd a masterclass in how to chase down a small target.
Mandhana went for a typically classy 34 with the score on 73 but by then it was a matter of when, not if.
Kerr did her best to pull off a miracle, snaring both Richa Ghosh and Paige Scholfield but there was only one further alarm as Lanning was lbw for 43 late in the piece. Mady Villiers then hit the winning boundary to make sure that the Super Giants’ stroll in the sun resulted in four points and the belief that they will be there or thereabouts come the business end of the competition.
‘I hope our good form continues’
Meerkat Match Hero, Sophie Ecclestone, on Sky Sports Cricket:
“I was thrilled to bowl in the powerplay and get a few wickets. It was about match-ups to Hayley and I came on early.
“[We’ve] got a good bowling attack, we have a great line-up and hope our good form continues. Nice to get straight in the powerplay, hope Meg gives me more opportunities there.”
Wyatt-Hodge out for rest of Hundred
England’s medical team have ruled batter Danni Wyatt-Hodge out of the remainder of The Hundred.
MI London’s Wyatt-Hodge sustained a left calf tear during her innings of 52 not out in a narrow defeat by Southern Brave on July 27.
“Following a scan and assessment by England’s medical team, it has been confirmed that she will miss MI London’s remaining matches in The Hundred,” an MI London statement read.
Wyatt-Hodge has been replaced in the MI London squad by Ella Claridge and faces a race against time to be fit for England’s three-match ODI series with Ireland in September.
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