Women’s Hundred 2026, TR-W vs LS-W 8th Match Match Report, July 26, 2026

London Spirit 146 for 5 (De Klerk 41, Kelly 39, Harris 37) beat Trent Rockets 142 for 7 (Gardner 34, Kapp 3-12) by five wickets

After a wash-out between Manchester Super Giants and MI London in Manchester earlier in the day, the capital’s second side in The Hundred, London Spirit travelled north to Nottingham, where they snuck past Trent Rockets with three balls to spare in a close-fought match. This was Spirit’s first ever win against the Rockets.

Spirit won the toss and opted to field, and the Rockets, in the continued absence of Nat Sciver-Brunt, started badly, Beth Mooney bowled by Marizanne Kapp without scoring. After ten balls from Kapp, the Rockets were 2 for 1 but Sophia Dunkley carried on where she left off against Birmingham Phoenix, hitting a breezy, boundary-laden 23, including the only six of the innings.

Sophie Luff went one run better but it was Australian Ash Gardner who did the bulk of the scoring, hitting five fours in her 34 before England’s vice-captain Charlie Dean got the better of her.

It was left to Bess Heath to get the Rockets up to a par score, her unbeaten 32 containing five crisp boundaries as the Rockets totalled 142-7. Dean was economical and pulled things back brilliantly for the visitors as they threatened to get out of hand but, not for the first time, the miserly Kapp was the pick of the attack, snaring three wickets for just 12 runs in her 20 balls.

When Spirit batted, Grace Harris – who hit three muscular sixes in a 20-ball 37 – and Amy Jones were in command, putting on 54 to break the back of the chase. They fell in quick succession and when Kapp and Sterre Kalis also departed, four wickets had gone down for 12 runs and the Rockets were perhaps favourites.

But Marie Kelly and Nadine de Klerk calmed the nerves and then started enjoying themselves, putting on 63 as Spirit reached their target with three balls to spare. Kelly was stumped just before the end but de Klerk’s second maximum sealed the deal, taking the London side level on points with Trent Rockets.

Kelly said: “Hitting straight was not working so we went much squarer, stepping across and sweeping, when we needed 60 off 37 or so and it worked. My role was to kick on and we know we bat down to 11 so we just thought we should get on with it.

“The wind was so strong that hitting straight was not working – that is the importance of comms with the coaches.”

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