Trent Rockets Women vs Birmingham Phoenix Women Match 4 Full Commentary

Welcome back for the run chase. 65 runs to win for the Rockets and out come the two openers - Sophia Dunkley and Beth Mooney. The Phoenix will need to put on a miraculous bowling effort to get anywhere close in the game. Alice Capsey has the new ball to bowl the offies. Dunkley is on strike. Here we go...

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Word from the TR-W debutant - On whether she expected a bowling performance like that, Samantha Bates says it was far from the plan. She admits it feels pretty special to be out there, and getting the opposition rolled for that total makes it even sweeter. When she is asked about what clicked for her today, she puts it down to simply trusting her processes and letting things unfold from there, sticking to plan A without overthinking it. On the thinking behind her bowling, she says it all came down to backing herself and trusting the plan, adding that Gardner was preaching the same message, which made it easier to see it through. Reflecting on the fielding effort, she brings up the mention of a chaotic warm-up beforehand and says it made pulling off that kind of performance out in the middle even more satisfying. Summing up her own bowling display, she says she could hardly have asked for more, calling the whole experience pretty special.

Clinical bowling effort - Legendary all-rounder Ellyse Perry played a lone hand for the hosts, scoring more than half of her team's total runs to finish as the top scorer with a resilient 39. Her valiant efforts were ultimately isolated as the Trent Rockets bowlers maintained their stranglehold on the match, leaving Perry as the only batter to get into double figures. Samantha Bates was the pick of the bowlers with a brilliant three-wicket haul, and Georgia Elwiss got three as well. Kim Garth provided excellent support with two wickets. Spinners Katie Levick and Ashleigh Gardner also chipped in with a vital wicket each to complete a flawless and dominant bowling display from the Rockets.

Sloppy strokes and brilliant fielding - The massive early damage forced Ellyse Perry and Kayla Reyneke into an emergency rebuilding phase to try and grind out a respectable total. Kayla put in a short effort to stabilize the innings, but her attempt to free her arms led to her downfall when a stunning catch from Bess Heath cut her stay short. Her dismissal left the team in a dire state at 15 for 6, bringing Alana King to the crease to join Perry. The duo managed to steady the ship slightly with a gritty 12-run partnership off 15 balls, which was followed by a crucial 19-run stand between Perry and Eva Gray that finally pushed the Phoenix past the 60-run mark.

A batting collapse at Edgbaston - After being put in to bat first, Birmingham Phoenix Women suffered a top-order capitulation that shocked the Edgbaston crowd as the Phoenix side was bowled out at 64, which also happens to be the second-lowest team total in the Women's Hundred history. Despite boasting a star-studded batting unit filled with international stars and proven match-winners, the hosts got off to a horrific start. The Trent Rockets bowlers completely dismantled the top order, leaving the Phoenix reeling at a dismal 14 for 5 after the first 30 balls. The visitors bowled with superb discipline, refusing to allow any of the top-order batters to establish a rhythm as they relentlessly picked up wickets at regular intervals.

Lauren Filer is the last batter out to bat.

A developing 19-run partnership is broken. With 25 legal balls left in the innings, Linsey Smith is in at number 10. Georgia Adams returns into the attack.

Stage shifts to the men's clash - That wraps up a completely dominant performance from the Trent Rockets Women, who clinically chased down the target to seal a commanding 9-wicket victory over the Birmingham Phoenix Women. The action at Edgbaston is far from over, as the focus now shifts entirely to the men's competition, where both powerhouse franchises are locked, loaded, and ready to square off in just a short while from now. Thank you for joining our coverage of this fixture, and stay tuned for the upcoming blockbuster clash. The first ball is scheduled to be bowled at 5.30 pm GMT. But do join us for the buildup in advance. Cheers for now!

Word from TR-W batting sensation - Sophia Dunkley is up for a chat after scoring an unbeaten 43 off just 17 balls in a winning cause. Sophia, on what the thinking was when chasing a low total, says they just tried to keep their plans simple and are really happy to get a dominant win. On playing alongside someone like Mooney, she says the amount of experience Mooney has got helps her a lot to learn. On her batting approach, she mentions that she just tried to make a conscious effort to play as much as down the ground as she could and she is glad to have executed her shots nicely. About the pressure while chasing low scores like this, she says it is just about the positive intent and being brave. Says when you get out early, it's just part of cricket, but stresses on having a positive mindset while walking in to bat. On being asked about which side she thinks might give them the toughest challenge in the tournament, Dunkley keeps her cards close, saying every team has players capable of turning up on any given day. Their focus, she adds, stays on doing the right things consistently, trusting that the results will take care of themselves.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Samantha Bates wins the award for her splendid spell of 3/10 in 20 balls, including 13 dots. When Ravi Shastri informs Samantha Bates that her figures now rank third best by a debutant in The Hundred Women's history, Bates says the whole thing still feels a bit surreal, and that getting the win for Trent Rockets is what matters most to her. On the decision to lean so heavily on spin, she says it was always part of the thinking coming into this one, with Edgbaston in particular suiting that approach, and she's happy it worked out the way they hoped. When she is asked about how she focuses on hitting the stumps, she puts that down to a chat with the spin coach, someone with plenty of experience playing here, who told her the key was simply targeting the stumps as often as possible. She says stuck to that plan and is glad it came off for her. On the bowling unit as a whole, she singles out Kim Garth's new ball spell for special praise, bowling ten balls upfront for just three runs, something she calls pretty remarkable, and says it left the door open for her to cash in.

Phoenix bowled out for 64 - Earlier, it was an absolute nightmare with the bat for Birmingham Phoenix Women at Edgbaston, as they just kept losing wickets and never recovered. After Trent Rockets won the toss and chose to field, the Phoenix lost wickets in clusters from the start. Beaumont, Perrin, Dercksen, Capsey and Spence all fell cheaply to leave them 14/5 in the Powerplay, and the collapse only deepened as Reyneke, King and others followed. Ellyse Perry fought a lone battle with a gritty 39 off 33 and was the only batter to reach double figures, but with little support around her the innings folded in 95 balls. Trent Rockets' bowlers were ruthless throughout, with debutant Samantha Bates taking 3/10 and Georgia Elwiss 3/13, leading a superb all-round effort that dismantled Birmingham and set the tone for a dominant win.

A game to forget for Phoenix - The Birmingham Phoenix Women bowlers simply had far too few runs on the board to mount any realistic defense or put the opposition under pressure. It proved to be a thoroughly disappointing match to forget for the home side, whose squad full of global superstars failed to fire in front of their home crowd. Trent Rockets wrapped up a commanding and comprehensive victory, leaving the Phoenix squad with massive tactical questions to answer ahead of their next tournament fixture.

A clinical and aggressive run chase - Chasing a meager target of 65 runs, the Trent Rockets Women showed absolute professionalism and refused to let the low total pressure their batting unit. Openers Beth Mooney and Sophia Dunkley went on the attack immediately, playing with aggressive intent to shatter any faint hopes of a Birmingham Phoenix comeback. Their destructive opening partnership took all the air out of the balloon, making light work of the small target and racing toward victory without any trouble. Dunkley played an unbeaten knock of 43 and saw the side home, with Luff scoring 19 as well.

Just 24 runs needed off 80 balls for the Rockets. Alana King will bowl her first set now.

Finally, something to smile for the hosts. Sophie Luff is in at number 3. She scored 397 runs in the Women's T20 Blast for Somerset this year and is in as the replacement for their full-time skipper, Sciver-Brunt.

Trent Rockets Women need 37 runs from 85 balls with all wickets intact. Lauren Filer is introduced into the attack, replacing Eva Gray.