Trent Rockets beat Sunrisers Leeds at Lord’s to claim maiden Women’s Hundred title

Trent Rockets beat Sunrisers Leeds by eight wickets at Lord’s on Sunday to claim their first Women’s Hundred title, completing the chase at 92-2 after bowling Sunrisers out for 91.

Trent had qualified automatically for the final after losing just one match in the group stage and entered the decider in strong form. Sunrisers Leeds were dismissed for 91, the lowest total by the Leeds-based franchise in six seasons of the Hundred. The match took place in a season marked by a run of low totals and a domestic competition that some observers felt lacked the momentum seen during last month’s T20 World Cup.

The 23-year-old seamer Charley Phillips finished with figures of two for 12 and was a standout performer with the ball. Hampshire’s Georgia Adams returned two wickets, a catch and a run-out. Adams had previously been dropped by Southern Brave despite captaining them to last year’s final.

Sunrisers’ innings faltered early, losing three wickets in the powerplay, including leading group-stage run-scorer Phoebe Litchfield, who made 10 and was caught by Adams at short fine leg. Phillips then uprooted the stumps of Deepti Sharma. Adams had Annabel Sutherland stumped when Sutherland came down the track and followed with a diving stop at cover that led to Jess Jonassen being run out for a duck, leaving Sunrisers 58 for six.

Chasing a modest target, Sophia Dunkley and Beth Mooney put together a 69-run partnership from 40 balls for the first wicket, with Dunkley eventually holing out to cover nine runs short of a half-century. Nat Sciver-Brunt was trapped leg-before by Annabel Sutherland during the chase, but two leg-side wides from Jess Jonassen and several crisp boundaries from Ash Gardner completed the victory.

Some commentators have suggested that increasing the quota to four overseas players per team this season, up from three in previous years, has limited opportunities for English players to perform on the big stage. Phillips, who has also been in strong form in this season’s One-Day Cup for Nottinghamshire-based team The Blaze, nonetheless produced a decisive performance at Lord’s.

The win secured Trent Rockets their maiden Hundred title.