Defending women’s champions London Spirit’s winning streak came to an end as they suffered a 33-run defeat by Trent Rockets in The Hundred at Lord’s.
Set a target of 150 to win, Spirit slumped to 116 all out as spinner Kirstie Gordon starred with 4-19 for the visitors, who picked up their first win this year.
Kira Chathli and Georgia Redmayne added a patient 26 for the first wicket before Spirit slipped to 70-6, including in-form Australia batter Grace Harris departing for just eight.
Fellow Australian Charli Knott’s 33 was the only knock to rescue Spirit from a complete capitulation as spinners Ash Gardner and Gordon bowled beautifully in tandem, the former finishing with 2-14.
Earlier, England captain Nat Sciver-Brunt set up the Rockets’ challenging 149-6, scoring an unbeaten 51 from 29 balls, after Bryony Smith bludgeoned 42 from 23 at the top of the order.
Smith added 62 in just 35 balls with fellow opener Nat Wraith, but Rockets were pegged back as both were dismissed in the space of three balls by seamer Eva Gray.
Sciver-Brunt combined with Australia all-rounder Gardner for a stand of 60, though a collapse of four wickets for 11 runs at the death saw Spirit fight back strongly as Gray finished with impressive figures of 4-19.
But Sciver-Brunt reached her fifty with a six off Charlie Dean from the last ball of the Rockets’ innings, pushing them to the competitive total and adding to a difficult day for the Spirit captain as she finished with figures of 0-40 from just 15 balls.
The win keeps Southern Brave at the top of the table as Rockets break their duck, leaving Welsh Fire as the only winless side in the women’s tournament.
