The Hundred women’s competition, Old Trafford
Trent Rockets 153-8 (100 balls): Dunkley 57 (33), Luff 51 (26); Ecclestone 2-24
Manchester Super Giants 122 all out (93 balls): Lanning 35 (24); Gardner 4-16
Trent Rockets won by 31 runs
Half-centuries from Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff helped Trent Rockets beat Manchester Super Giants by 31 runs and move above their opponents into second in the Hundred table.
Dunkley hit 57 from 33 balls and Luff 51 from 26 as the pair put on a second-wicket partnership of 91 at Old Trafford, helping set up a score of 153-8.
Ash Gardner then took 4-16 in the Super Giants reply, removing Meg Lanning and Paige Scholfield before returning to take the final two wickets of the match as the home side were bowled out for 122 with seven balls remaining.
Rockets lost Australian opener Beth Mooney for two after being put into bat, but Dunkley and Luff soon put the visitors in control, hitting 14 fours and five sixes between them.
The partnership was broken when Luff was caught by Smriti Mandhana off the bowling off Maitlan Brown, before Sophie Ecclestone removed Dunkley and Bess Heath (0) in the space of three balls.
Rockets lost wickets steadily from that point, their last three dismissals run-outs as they pushed to up their total, with Georgia Adams their third-highest scorer with an unbeaten 20.
Super Giants never got going in their reply, with their best partnership one of 30 between Meg Lanning and Kathryn Bryce (27) for the fifth wicket.
Captain Lanning, who top-scored with 35 from the top of the order, was trapped lbw by Gardner, who had already had Scholfield (3) caught and bowled with her first delivery.
The home side lost their last six wickets for 33 runs with Gardner closing the match with two wickets in three balls, having Ryana MacDonald-Gay caught by Dunkley and then bowling Grace Ballinger.
The four points for Rockets’ third win in four games moves them two points above Super Giants, who have two wins, a loss and a no result from their four fixtures.
