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Nat Sciver-Brunt underlined her status as the tournament’s most destructive batter with an unbeaten 67 as Trent Rockets booked their place in the knockout stage of The Hundred with a crushing nine-wicket win over MI London at The Oval on Saturday.
Chasing a modest 122 for victory, Rockets barely broke sweat. Sciver-Brunt (67 not out off 36 balls) and Beth Mooney (54 not out off 44) shared an unbroken second-wicket stand of 118 to steer their side home with 18 balls to spare, sealing a fifth successive win and confirming the defending champions as the team to beat.
Sciver-Brunt and Mooney dismantle a spent MI London
The result was effectively settled long before the closing overs. Set on their way by tidy bowling that restricted MI London — already eliminated from contention — to 121-5, Rockets treated the chase as batting practice. Australian left-arm spinner Sam Bates was the pick of the attack with 3-13, moving her joint-top of the competition’s wicket-taking charts and choking the London innings of any momentum through the middle.
The reply was a masterclass in controlled aggression. Sciver-Brunt, the England captain, took just 36 deliveries over her half-century-plus, driving through the covers and clearing the ropes at will. Mooney, no less fluent, complemented her with 54 from 44. Their stand of 118 is the second-highest partnership in the history of the women’s competition, a statistic that speaks to both the calibre of the pairing and the gulf between the sides on the night.
For MI London, the defeat was the confirmation of a campaign that never caught fire. Beaten heavily by Manchester Super Giants earlier in the week and now brushed aside by the group leaders, they finish among the also-rans, their bowling unable to lay a glove on a top order operating at a different level.
Rockets’ dominance is becoming a habit
Trent Rockets have made a habit of winning the women’s Hundred, and this qualification continues a run of dominance that stretches back across recent editions of the competition. Built around Sciver-Brunt — a player who has repeatedly bent this tournament to her will since its inception — the Rockets combine a fearsome top order with an attack that has found answers on surfaces of every character.
Saturday’s win was their fifth on the bounce, a streak that has carried them clear at the summit and given them the luxury of momentum heading into the business end of the season. Crucially, the manner of victory — a nine-wicket rout completed with three overs to spare — will have done their net run rate no harm at all, a factor that can prove decisive when knockout seedings and home advantage are settled.
Sciver-Brunt’s individual form is the throughline. Whether opening the bowling or anchoring a chase, she remains the tournament’s defining figure, and her partnership with an in-form Mooney gives Rockets a batting spine few sides can match under pressure.
What it means for the knockouts
Qualification secured, the question for Rockets now is one of seeding rather than survival. Finishing top of the group would earn a direct route through the knockout stage and, potentially, a decisive home tie — a reward that this squad, given its consistency, has every incentive to chase over the remaining fixtures.
The wider picture is a reminder of how quickly The Hundred can separate the contenders from the pack. While MI London reflect on a campaign to forget, Rockets travel into the knockouts with a settled side, a genuine match-winner at the top, and the kind of form that makes opponents flinch. If Sciver-Brunt maintains this trajectory, few would bet against Trent Rockets lifting the trophy once more.
For now, the job is half done. The group stage has been navigated with room to spare; the knockouts, where margins tighten and a single collapse can end a season, will be the real test of whether this Rockets side can convert dominance into silverware.
**Sources:** [ESPNcricinfo scorecard](https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-hundred-women-s-competition-2026-1521193/mi-london-women-vs-trent-rockets-women-25th-match-1521221/live-cricket-score) · [Sky Sports match report](https://www.skysports.com/cricket/news/12123/13570938/the-hundred-trent-rockets-continue-dominance-of-womens-competition-as-qualification-for-knockouts-is-clinched) · [Wisden points table](https://www.wisden.com/series/the-hundred-women-2026/cricket-news/the-hundred-womens-2026-points-table-updated-standings-and-net-run-rate-after-trent-rockets-edge-past-sunrisers-leeds-and-manchester-super-giants-thrash-mi-london)
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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