Southern Brave 159 for 4 (Stubbs 52*, Stoinis 46) beat Trent Rockets 158 for 5 (Santner 35*) by six wickets

The Rockets knew that a win would secure top spot and their place in the Lord’s showpiece but Stubbs (52*) swatted Lewis Gregory for six to bring up a 28-ball half-century with three balls to spare and complete a six-wicket win. Sunrisers Leeds can now leapfrog the Rockets on net run-rate if they overcome Manchester Super Giants tomorrow at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground.

A fourth-wicket stand of 70 from 41 deliveries between Stubbs and Stoinis (46 off 25) effectively decided a match that was delicately poised throughout.

Set a target of 159, the Brave made a solid start in reply, Jamie Smith (26 off 18) and Moeen Ali (17 off 14) steering the visitors to 40 without loss after 25 balls but Craig Overton made the breakthrough when Smith was dismissed via a superb relay catch involving Finn Allen and Calvin Harrison.

Harrison then snared Moeen with his fourth delivery courtesy of a regulation caught-and-bowled before bowling the dangerous David Miller.

That brought Stoinis to the crease and the Australian announced his arrival by dispatching Harrison for two sixes and a four from the first three balls he faced. By the time he fell to Ben Sanderson, caught at extra-cover after mistiming a slower delivery, the Brave were firm favourites, and Stubbs secured a consolation win that leaves them sixth in the table after an uneven campaign.

The Rockets had posted a competitive 158 for 5 after being asked to bat. Ben Duckett (17 off 14), Finn Allen (23 off 12) and Aneurin Donald (19 off 9) all flickered briefly but it was a sixth-wicket stand between Mitch Santner (35* off 23) and Gregory (28* off 18) which gave the innings substance.

Coming together with the score 92 for 5, the pair put on 66 in 39 balls, Santner displaying the form which brought him a maiden half-century in The Hundred in the Rockets’ previous outing against MI London. Gregory was similarly impressive, finishing the innings with consecutive boundaries to propel his team to a score which ultimately proved not quite enough.

Reflecting on the Brave’s campaign, Stubbs, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “It’s been disappointing but it’s a nice way to finish off. In hindsight it’s a bit frustrating. We gave it our all for the month but in the first three games we lost a couple of close ones and then it’s hard to get momentum.

“I think we’ve shown at the end what we can do but it took us a while to get there.”