Nat Sciver-Brunt half-century ensures Trent Rockets sign off with third straight victory

Birmingham Phoenix are assured of finishing in the bottom two in the women's table for a third straight season

ECB Media | 27/08/2025 at 17:30

Trent Bridge: Birmingham Phoenix 123-6, Trent Rockets 126-7 - Trent Rockets won by three wickets

Trent Rockets concluded their campaign with a third successive win, Nat Sciver-Brunt's third half-century of the competition setting up a nervy three-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix to nudge her team up to fourth in the table.

Sciver-Brunt finished as the leading run-scorer in last summer's women's competition, and the England skipper's thrilling innings of 52 from 29 balls at Trent Bridge moved her up to second place in this season's batting charts, behind Meg Lanning of Oval Invincibles.

After the Rockets had been set 124 for victory, Em Arlott clean bowled the dangerous Bryony Smith for 10 with a superb slower yorker, but Sciver-Brunt was quickly into her stride, sharing a second-wicket stand of 46 with Grace Scrivens (16) before Scrivens holed out to Arlott off the impressive Phoebe Brett.

Ash Gardner struck two quick boundaries before falling to Megan Schutt via a stunning catch in the deep by Ailsa Lister.

Rockets threatened to implode when Sciver-Brunt chipped to extra cover off Hannah Baker immediately after bringing up her fifty, and Brett dismissed Heather Graham and Ellie Threlkeld in the space of four deliveries, the young left-arm spinner finishing with figures of 3 for 19 as the hosts slipped to 109 for 6.

Alana King (9) settled the nerves a little, and when she edged behind off Schutt (2 for 24), courtesy of a superb catch from Amy Jones, it was left to Jodi Grewcock to hit the winning boundary with three balls to spare, securing a first home win of the season for the Rockets.

Earlier, Emma Lamb's second half-century of the competition had steered the Phoenix to 123 for 6, the England opener batting through the innings to finish unbeaten on 56 from 42.

It was tough work at times for Lamb, who struck five boundaries, but she played judiciously as the Rockets' high-class spin triumvirate of Kirstie Gordon (2 for 4), King (1 for 21) and Gardner (1 for 18) served up very few loose deliveries.

Ellyse Perry (14), Marie Kelly (14) and Lister (12 off 6) played useful cameos to help push the visitors up to a competitive target, but ultimately it wasn't enough to prevent them slipping to a sixth defeat in eight.