Trent Rockets secured their spot in the men's Hundred knockout stages on 8 August 2026, beating MI London by six wickets at The Oval. Mitchell Santner's unbeaten 52 off just 23 balls guided the chase, while Sam Curran's 72 had earlier lifted MI London to 147-7.
The victory was Rockets' sixth in seven matches and lifted them to 24 points at the summit of the table, eight clear of a chasing pack of four sides - Sunrisers Leeds, Welsh Fire, MI London and Manchester Super Giants - who remain locked together in the battle for the remaining knockout places.
How did Trent Rockets get over the line?
Rockets' pursuit of 148 began unsteadily, with Finn Allen falling to Tom Curran before Aneurin Donald and Sam Billings also fell cheaply, leaving the visitors at 46-3 after just 30 balls. Ben Duckett contributed 27 from 26 balls before Richard Gleeson removed him midway through the innings, but the innings turned when Tim David and Santner benefited from dropped catches off Sam Curran and Sherfane Rutherford respectively.
David finished not out on 32 while Santner accelerated to what was his maiden Hundred half-century, reaching fifty from just 21 deliveries according to detailed match coverage, and struck the winning runs with ten balls remaining. The win marked Rockets' first-ever victory at The Oval in the competition.
How did MI London's innings unfold?
Sent in to bat first, MI London made a fast start behind Will Jacks, who arrived at the crease having posted three fifties in his previous four matches and looked set to continue that form. Two outstanding pieces of fielding, however, disrupted the hosts' momentum: Tim David took a superb running catch to dismiss James Vince, and Duckett followed up with a pinpoint direct hit from the ground to run out Nicholas Pooran two balls later, leaving MI London at 35-2.
Jacks and captain Sam Curran then set about rebuilding the innings before Jacks fell for 39, caught via a remarkable reflex return catch by leg-spinner Calvin Harrison. Wickets continued to tumble for the home side at regular intervals, but Sam Curran reached a 30-ball half-century and went on to finish with 72 from 46 deliveries, including four fours and five sixes, before being dismissed off the final ball of the innings as MI London closed on 147-7.
What happened in the other match?
Southern Brave's knockout ambitions ended after a 10-run defeat to Manchester Super Giants at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton. The result lifted Super Giants level on 16 points with Sunrisers Leeds, MI London and Welsh Fire, setting up a four-way scramble for the two remaining knockout spots.
Batting first, Super Giants openers Tim Seifert and Paul Walter laid a commanding platform. Walter, playing only his second match of the tournament after Aiden Markram withdrew for personal reasons, struck early by hitting three boundaries off the second set from Luke Wood and raced to fifty in 26 balls. Seifert also reached his half-century - his third of the season - from 30 deliveries, and the pair took Super Giants to 119 without loss after 62 balls.
A dramatic collapse followed after Walter, out for 64, skied a catch off Nikhil Chaudhary to Chris Jordan. Super Giants lost eight wickets for just 30 runs in 37 balls, slumping to a final total of 149-8.
In reply, Brave lost opener Michael Pepper without scoring, though Jamie Smith and Tristan Stubbs put on 54 for the second wicket at a measured pace. Smith made 26 from 25 balls before departing, and Moeen Ali was dismissed without scoring. Stubbs pressed on to bring up his half-century in 37 balls and finished unbeaten on 53, but Brave needed 37 runs from the final ten balls. Josh Tongue conceded 19 in the penultimate set and Chaudhary added 14 to keep the contest alive until the final five balls, but the target proved out of reach for Brave, who had won the competition's inaugural edition.
How does this connect to the women's competition?
Trent Rockets' men's side were not the only team from the club to book a knockout berth on the same day. According to a separate report, Trent Rockets Women also reached the knockout phase, beating MI London Women by nine wickets, with Sky Sports reporting that the result marked a fifth straight win for the women's side, built on Beth Mooney's unbeaten 54 and Nat Sciver-Brunt's unbeaten 67.
That women's form continues a run of strong results for Trent Rockets this summer. The club's women previously overcame Sunrisers Leeds by five runs at Trent Bridge, with Sophia Dunkley scoring 56 and Annabel Sutherland finishing unbeaten on 59 in a tense chase, as detailed in our earlier coverage. They had also beaten Welsh Fire by eight wickets in Cardiff behind Beth Mooney's 57, as reported in a previous match report, though their unbeaten run was briefly interrupted by a 10-run loss to Birmingham Phoenix in a record-breaking, six-hitting affair at Edgbaston, covered in that earlier story.
What is happening next in the men's competition?
Sunday's fixtures are pivotal for the remaining qualification places, with Sunrisers Leeds hosting Welsh Fire at Headingley and London Spirit welcoming Birmingham Phoenix at Lord's. The women's matches are scheduled for 11:00 and 14:30 BST, with the men's contests following at 14:30 and 18:00 respectively.
In the women's competition, Sunrisers and Fire both still need victories to keep their knockout hopes alive, while Spirit and Phoenix have already been eliminated. In the men's event, Sunrisers and Fire remain in contention for the final knockout places, but Spirit and Phoenix are out of the running.
According to Sky Sports, Trent Rockets' next men's group fixture is against Southern Brave on Monday, 10 August 2026. Further ahead, tournament scheduling details confirm the men's eliminator will take place on Friday, 14 August at The Oval, with the final following on Sunday, 16 August at Lord's. Under the competition's format, the top-placed team advances directly to the final, while the sides ranked below contest the eliminator for the second final place.
Key Facts
- Trent Rockets beat MI London by six wickets at The Oval on 8 August 2026, reaching 148-4 in reply to 147-7.
- Mitchell Santner's unbeaten 52 off 23 balls was his maiden Hundred half-century.
- Sam Curran top-scored for MI London with 72 off 46 balls, including four fours and five sixes.
- Manchester Super Giants beat Southern Brave by 10 runs at the Utilita Bowl, eliminating Brave from knockout contention.
- Trent Rockets Women also reached the knockouts, beating MI London Women by nine wickets for a fifth consecutive win.
- The men's eliminator is scheduled for 14 August at The Oval, with the final on 16 August at Lord's.
