In a thrilling encounter at Nottingham, the Birmingham Phoenix finally ended their 12-match losing streak as they edged past the Trent Rockets by a mere three runs in The Hundred.
It was a scintillating match that saw Rockets firing through Sciver-Brunt, but a late cameo by Graham came too late for them to secure the win.
Australian superstar Ellyse Perry was the standout performer, with a stellar performance with the bat and in the field. Perry’s heroics played a crucial role in Phoenix’s victory over Rockets.
The match kicked off with Birmingham Phoenix winning the toss and opting to bat first. Sophie Devine and Sterre Kalis provided a steady start for Phoenix, with an opening partnership of 32 runs. However, Alana King’s breakthrough dismissed Devine for 17, giving Rockets their first wicket.
Captain Perry then joined Kalis at the crease and showcased her aggressive batting style, racing to 41 off just 20 balls. Perry rode on some luck after being dropped on the boundary, eventually making an impressive 66 off 34 balls. The partnership between Perry and Kalis yielded a crucial 102 runs, with Perry smashing 4 sixes during her innings.
Amy Jones contributed some quick runs towards the end of the innings, helping Phoenix reach a competitive total of 139 from their 100 balls. Kalis remained unbeaten on 48, setting up a challenging target for Rockets.
Perry continued to make an impact in the field, taking important wickets and displaying exceptional fielding skills. Rockets found themselves in a tough spot at 58 for 2, with Perry’s brilliance restricting their progress.
However, Nat Sciver-Brunt’s impressive batting display brought Rockets back into the game, as she notched up her sixth half-century in The Hundred off just 33 balls. Despite their valiant efforts, the dismissals of Ash Gardner and Sciver-Brunt shifted the momentum back in Phoenix’s favor.
With Rockets needing 27 runs from the last 10 balls, the game hung in the balance. Although Rockets fought hard, they fell short by three runs in the end.
Reflecting on the match, a Phoenix player commented, “It took us a while to get going, but once you were in there was a breeze, so it was easy to find the pockets in the ground and build a bit of momentum with the bat. The total felt defendable, but they chased well, Heather at the end there was really unlucky not to bring it home for them, so to hold our nerve at the end was awesome.”
In the end, Birmingham Phoenix’s collective effort and Perry’s brilliance sealed a hard-fought victory over the Trent Rockets, finally breaking their losing streak in a nail-biting encounter.
