The Hundred: Trent Rockets start strong with six-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix

Trent Rockets launched their 2025 men’s campaign in The Hundred with a comfortable six-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston on Friday night.

Batting first after winning the toss, the Phoenix posted 122-6 — a total that never quite looked defendable. Lockie Ferguson led the Rockets’ charge with the ball, claiming 3-20, while Tom Banton powered the chase with a fluent 43 off 29 balls to help seal the victory.

Named Meerkat Match Hero, Ferguson said: “It was a good night, I started well with Dave. The boys bowled excellently and gave a reasonable total for the batters to chase. It was nice to get one under the belt early on in the comp.

“The short boundary on the leg side was intimidating for sure but the boys looked at change ups and hit the yorker well. We got early wickets that really helped us through the middle.”

The Rockets made an immediate impact with the ball, dismissing Phoenix’s top three — Ben Duckett, Will Smeed, and Aneurin Donald — inside the powerplay, reducing the hosts to 24-3.

A sharp run-out by Sam Cook off his own bowling to dismiss Jacob Bethell put further pressure on Phoenix. Despite a fightback led by Liam Livingstone (39 off 30) and Joe Clarke (29), Ferguson returned to remove both batters in a decisive spell.

Late cameos from Dan Mousley and Benny Howell gave Phoenix a modest boost, but Rockets’ death bowling ensured the target remained within reach.

In response, the Rockets shrugged off the early loss of Joe Root (dismissed by Tim Southee) as Banton and Rehan Ahmed (25 off 16) took the attack to the bowlers. Although both fell to Howell, Max Holden’s quickfire 22 off 13 balls steered the Rockets home with 22 balls to spare.

Upcoming Matches – The Hundred 2025 (Saturday, August 9)

Two exciting clashes are scheduled for Saturday:

• Oval Invincibles vs Manchester Originals – 6:00 PM (Kabul Time)

• Welsh Fire vs London Spirit – 9:30 PM (Kabul Time)

Fans can watch both matches live on Ariana Television.