Nottingham, August 20 (HS): Trent Rockets delivered a commanding performance under the leadership of skipper David Willey, defeating Manchester Originals by seven wickets in The Hundred clash on Tuesday. Willey was the star of the show, dismantling the Originals’ batting order with a spell of fiery bowling – conceding just 11 runs and picking up three crucial wickets. His brilliance restricted Manchester to a modest 98 in their 100-ball quota, which the Rockets chased down with 26 balls to spare, climbing up to second place in the points table.

Willey’s Early Strikes Rock Originals

Willey wasted no time setting the tone for the contest. In his opening set, he trapped youngster Ben McKinney leg-before, before dismissing in-form England star Jos Buttler and New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra in consecutive deliveries – leaving Originals shell-shocked.

The pressure never eased as Rockets’ bowling unit piled on the dominance. Young leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed chipped in with two vital breakthroughs, removing Heinrich Klaasen and Phil Salt, while pacer Sam Cook accounted for Matthew Hurst and Scott Currie.

Only skipper Lewis Gregory showed some fight at the back end, smashing a rapid 26 off the final 10 balls to push Manchester’s total to 98/8.

Rehan Ahmed Anchors the Chase

Though a target of 99 could have posed questions, Rockets made sure it was a walk in the park. Despite early setbacks with Joe Root (4) and Tom Banton (12) falling cheaply, Rehan Ahmed showcased maturity beyond his years. The youngster played with authority against spinners Ravindra and Noor Ahmad, staying unbeaten on a match-winning 45.

Wicketkeeper Tom Moores provided the finishing touches with a breezy 22 off 13 balls, sealing the victory in emphatic fashion.

Brief Scores

Manchester Originals: 98/8 (100 balls) – Lewis Gregory 33*, Jos Buttler 19; David Willey 3/11, Rehan Ahmed 2/14

Trent Rockets: 101/3 (74 balls) – Rehan Ahmed 45*, Tom Moores 22*; Sonny Baker 1/11, Josh Tongue 1/20

With this comprehensive win, the Rockets handed the Originals their fourth defeat in six matches, bolstering their campaign in the tournament.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar