Smith Sets Up Comfortable Spirit Win Over Rockets

The Hundred men's competition, Lord's

London Spirit 162-5 (100 balls): Smith 52 (34); Stoinis 2-27

Trent Rockets 141-6 (100 balls): Banton 46 (31); Worrall 2-32

Spirit won by 21 runs

Scorecard. Table

England batter Jamie Smith's half-century group up a comfortable 21-run triumph for London Spirit astatine Lord's, inflicting a first conclusion connected Trent Rockets successful The Hundred.

Smith was promoted to open, a domiciled he fulfils for England's white-ball sides, and struck 52 from 34 balls arsenic Spirit posted a challenging 162-5.

The visitors made a agleam commencement successful reply arsenic Tom Banton and Joe Root added 73 for nan first wicket, but they fell distant aft nan former's departure and crawled to 141-6.

Rockets were yet punished for a sloppy fielding effort. Smith was put down connected 23 and 26, while Kane Williamson was besides dropped doubly successful making 45 arsenic nan brace added 73 for nan 2nd wicket.

Smith clubbed 4 sixes and 2 fours while Williamson showed his sublime touch and people successful a 32-ball sound that followed Australian David Warner's departure for six.

Warner's compatriot Ashton Turner provided a precocious cameo of 30 from16 balls, while Ollie Pope made 17 from nine, to complete a much-improved batting effort aft Spirit's erstwhile capacity connected location turf saw them bowled retired for conscionable 80.

Banton led nan complaint successful his opening guidelines pinch Root but nan people of nan crippled changed erstwhile he played connected to his stumps disconnected Jamie Overton, who struggled done his 20 balls pinch an wounded that could beryllium a origin for interest for Spirit.

Banton's departure sparked a illness of 4 wickets for 17 runs, including Root for 27 and Rehan Ahmed for a duck, and their task became moreover much difficult erstwhile Tom Alsop was struck by an Overton bouncer that burst done his helmet and he had to discontinue hurt.

Marcus Stoinis clubbed 4 sixes precocious connected successful a characteristically move 35 not retired from 22 balls but Rockets still fell considerably short.

Smith's promotion meant Spirit were utilizing their 3rd different opening operation successful 4 games but they look to person yet recovered nan correct fit.

The wicketkeeper was fierce from nan outset, whacking 2 sixes successful his first 5 balls disconnected Rockets skipper David Willey and recovered nan cleanable companion successful Williamson, who seemed overmuch much comfortable astatine number 3 aft Warner was caught astatine screen disconnected Lockie Ferguson.

Williamson had opened doubly antecedently and made unconvincing scores of 14 and 19 but was backmost to his best, delighting nan Lord's crowd pinch his trademark deft touches down nan keeper and exquisite screen drives.

Rockets' bowlers were blameworthy of offering excessively overmuch width for him to play those shots but they were besides fto down successful nan field. Adam Hose spilled Smith connected 23, Ferguson misjudged a chance astatine long-on erstwhile he had 26 earlier he almost sewage redemption, only for Alsop to put 1 down behind nan stumps pinch Williamson connected 22.

Hose's nightmare evening continued arsenic he could not clasp connected to different astatine heavy screen pinch Williamson connected 38.

The brace ensured they punished Rockets to group a coagulated platform, and Turner and Pope added a accelerated 46 successful conscionable 20 balls to return nan crippled beyond nan visitors.

It will beryllium a morale-boosting triumph for Spirit aft an inconsistent commencement to their campaign, pinch nan batting effort backed up by a good all-round bowling effort, though Overton's wounded could beryllium important for their hopes going forward.

Northern Superchargers' women will beryllium looking to support nan unit connected nan apical 2 arsenic they return connected Birmingham Phoenix astatine 15:00 BST.

The men's crippled follows astatine 18:30 BST pinch Phoenix hoping to stitchery momentum aft they hit leaders Oval Invincibles successful their astir caller crippled connected Tuesday.

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