London Spirit Women vs Trent Rockets Women Match 8 Full Commentary
Result · Jul 26 2026, Sun - 07:00 PM (IST)
LNS-W 146/5 (19.2)
TRT-W 142/7 (20.0)
London Spirit Women beat Trent Rockets Women by 5 wickets
CRR:7.53
Player Of The Match
We are back for the chase! The umpires are back out in the middle, and so are the players of Trent Rockets Women, who form a huddle before taking their places on the field. The duo of Amy Jones and Grace Harris is all set to open the innings for London Spirit Women. Samantha Bates will get proceedings underway with her left-arm spin. Let's go...
... The Run Chase ...
Enough on the board? Not the most free-flowing of innings from the Rockets, but a few of their batters did get going. Sophia Dunkley really struggled against Marizanne Kapp but did take on the others and got off to a bit of a flier. Sophie Luff also got off to a start, after which Ashleigh Gardner played a handy knock of 34 off 22 balls. However, they kept losing wickets and it was an unbeaten 30 off 19 balls from Bess Heath that got them to a respectable total. Currently, the score does feel a bit below par, but remember, London Spirit are coming off an underwhelming batting display in their previous game and Trent Rockets bundled out the Phoenix for 60-odd in their last game. So, this game is well and truly on. Stay tuned for the chase.
Kapp stars with the ball - A bit of an up-and-down performance with the ball from London Spirit Women, but Marizanne Kapp was once again the standout. She bowled a lovely set of 10 upfront, giving away just a couple of leg byes and picking up a wicket. Then she came back in to get rid of a well-set and firing Sophia Dunkley to set things up for her side and ended with three wickets. Skipper Charlie Dean was also very good, and truth be told, Deandra Dottin was the only real blemish when it comes to the amount of runs conceded by a single bowler.
Not much in it - An innings that truly ebbed and flowed one way and the other, but in the end, neither side will be too displeased with how things panned out. If anything, London Spirit Women will feel they are slightly ahead as they managed to keep Trent Rockets Women under the 150-run mark.
A single to end the final set. Trent Rockets Women finish on 142/7. Loopy ball, low full toss, outside off. Heath steps out to force it through the off side. Gets it off the outer half wide of short third for only a single.
Very full, on the off stump. Garth can't get under it and jams it out wide of extra cover for one. So far, so good from Nadine De Klerk. Just 4 runs off the final set so far.
Bess Heath is hit on the helmet and out comes the physio to perform a concussion check. All seems fine and we are good to go again.
Oh, that could have gone anywhere. Bowled into the wicket, on off. Heath moves towards the off side to heave it away on the leg side. Gets a top edge onto the helmet and it goes away on the leg side.
Tidy stuff so far from London Spirit at the death.
Drifting onto the pads, fuller in length. Garth wrists it through square leg for another single.
On a back of a length, on off. Heath flat bats it to long on for one.
At the stumps, on a length. Garth squeezes out an inside edge onto the pads. The ball drops beside the strip on the off side and they take a quick single.
Full and speared in at the pads. Heath smears it to deep square leg for a single.
FOUR! Nearly went the distance. Pavely attempts the bumper but the ball does not come out right out of the hand. It is dragged down leg, Heath swivels and shovels it over short fine leg. One bounce and over the ropes.
Full and darted in at the pads. Garth nurdles it behind square leg for a single.
Kim Garth is in next.
OUT! CAUGHT! 'Catch' is the cry and Grace Harris answers the call. Pavely drops it short from around the wicket, on off. Emma Jones collapses her back knee and swings through the line. Looks to launch it down the ground with a horizontal bat but it goes only as far as long on, where Harris takes an easy catch.
Charis Pavely is back on to bowl the penultimate set of this innings. Also, Georgia Elwiss has been retired out here. She is replaced by Emma Jones.
Full and quick, outside off. Elwiss tries to work it away on the leg side but the ball sneaks under the blade and bursts through the gloves of the keeper. They cross for a bye.
Slower and shorter, on off. Elwiss angles the reverse wide of short third for a single.
Flighted up, wide on off. Elwiss advances and works it to long off for a single.
This is fired in, full and on off. Georgia tries the reverse but misses and wears it on the pads.
Bowled slower through the air, on a length, on off. Elwiss uses her feet to clip it away but gets a soft leading edge to cover.
Had to hurry! This keeps straight, on a length, outside off. Elwiss shuffles towards the off side and steps out. She nudges it towards the vacant wide mid on region. Charis Pavely runs in off the ropes and fires a throw on the bounce to the bowling end. Her throw is a bit wide and Grace Harris cannot gather it cleanly, allowing Heath to get home with a dive.
Flatter and on a good length, on off. Georgia cuts it late but picks out the short third fielder.
FOUR! Gets it away! Full and pushed through, wide on off. Elwiss moves towards the off side and gets low to play the reverse sweep fine of the short third fielder.
Turning back in, on a nagging length, on middle. Heath attempts the reverse but the ball stops on her. She toe-ends it uppishly in front of cover for a run.
Short and around off. Elwiss punches it wide of cover for one.
Grace Harris to have a bowl now, interesting.
More to come - The men of Trent Rockets and London Spirit will be out in the middle in Nottingham shortly, with both sides looking to climb off the foot of the table. Trent Rockets have opted to bowl first in that contest, and the first ball isn't far away. You can switch tabs and follow all the action. Cheers!
PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Nadine De Klerk has been given the award for her match-winning 41 not out off 22 balls. She says at the halfway mark, they felt it was a pretty chaseable total and that the wicket played a bit better than she had expected. Shares that the chat with Marie Kelly was to keep going and try to finish the chase as quickly as possible rather than leave it too late. She finishes by praising Marizanne Kapp, calling her exceptional with the new ball and adding that everyone knows how good she is.
Not enough with the bat - On what looked like a good batting surface, Trent Rockets were unable to make the most of the conditions. Sophia Dunkley and Ash Gardner both got starts, yet neither could go on to play the defining knock their side needed. London Spirit, for their part, did an excellent job of nipping promising partnerships in the bud throughout. They also finished strongly with the ball, ensuring the hosts were kept below the 150-run mark.
De Klerk sees it through - Being bowled out for just 80 in their previous outing could easily have been weighing on London Spirit's minds, but Grace Harris put those memories to rest with a blazing start. True to the theme of the contest, Trent Rockets hit back. From 55/0, Spirit slipped to 67/4 as wickets fell in quick succession and the boundaries dried up. But Marie Kelly and Nadine De Klerk kept their composure. They bided their time before a 15-run set immediately after the timeout sparked the turnaround, with Nadine staying unbeaten to see Spirit home.
Spirit break the hoodoo - A thoroughly entertaining contest that ebbed and flowed as the two sides traded blows throughout, but it was London Spirit who came out on top in the end to register their first win of the season. It is a landmark victory for Spirit, who beat Trent Rockets for the first time in the women's competition after losing each of their previous five meetings.
SIX! That's it, Nadine De Klerk has seen her side home in style, and London Spirit Women win by 5 wickets. Back of a length and outside off, De Klerk yet again shuffles to the off side and swings it away flat towards deep square leg. The fielder over there leaps up but the ball flicks the fingers and ends up over the ropes for a maximum.
Fuller one, floated outside off. Nadine De Klerk gets across to the off side quickly and sits down, shovelling the sweep to the right of deep backward square leg for a couple of easy runs.
Beaten! Quicker through the air, on a dragged length and wide outside off. De Klerk looks to cut but misses. 5 needed off 5 balls.
SIX! That's released all the pressure. A rank full toss outside off, De Klerk stands tall and slams it over cover for a six.
Swing and a miss, another dot ball. Flatter one, fired in wide outside the off stump. Nadine De Klerk lunges across to sweep but misses.
On a length, angled into the batter. Pavely comes forward again and miscues it in front of square leg for a run.
Tossed up, drifted into the pads. Pavely steps out and clips it straight to short mid-wicket.
A bit shorter on middle, short-arm jabbed off the back foot to deep mid-wicket for a single.
Nagging length on middle, darting it across the left-hander. Pavely presses back to defend.
OUT! STUMPED! Finally, some respite for Trent Rockets, but is it too late? Samantha Bates flights it up beautifully, but on a dragged length and outside off. Marie Kelly dances down the pitch to slog sweep but is beaten in flight and the ball turns well past the blade. Beth Mooney whips off the bails and Kelly has to walk back. Charis Pavely is the new batter. 13 needed now off 12 balls.
SIX! That's a strong hit from Kelly. Floated up at the stumps, Marie Kelly comes down the pitch, reaches for it and whacks it with the breeze over long on for a maximum.
A top edge that lands safe and the batters get two runs. Flighted ball, on a length and on middle Kelly sts down to slog sweep but gets a top edge down to fine leg for two runs.
SIX! That's a strong hit from Kelly. Floated up at the stumps, Marie Kelly comes down the track and reaches for it and whacks it with the breeze over long on for a maximum.
A top edge that lands safe and the batters get two runs. Flighted ball, on a length and on middle, Kelly sits down to slog sweep but gets a top edge down to fine leg for two runs.
No ball! Starts with a fuller one, wide outside off. This is swung away to deep square leg for one. Uh, oh! Bates has overstepped and that is a cardinal sin. No Ball called and a Free Hit to follow.
Pace off, dug in short and wide outside off. There to be put away but De Klerk misses out as she slaps it straight to short cover.
SIX! That sounded good off the bat and it is good. Pitched fuller, angling into the pads. Nadine De Klerk uses those powerful wrists and whips it over deep mid-wicket for a biggie.
Pace off, into the pitch and wide outside off. Kelly goes after it and gets an under edge down past the keeper for a single.
On off, Nadine pushes it away for a single.
FOUR! Edged away. Good-length delivery in the channel, pushes at it and gets it between backward point and short third for a boundary
Dragged shorter and wide outside off, De Klerk goes back and across to the off side, pulling it towards deep square leg for just one more.
Tossed up outside off, Kelly steps out and swats it to covers for a single.
On the pads, worked away off the back foot through the leg side for a single.
Dragged shorter on leg, Nadine De Klerk rocks back and goes to the off side, shovelling it down behind square leg for a couple of runs.
Just a single. Flighted full and on leg, Marie Kelly shovels it away to the right of deep mid-wicket and the fielder does well to keep it down to a single.