London Spirit Women clinched a thrilling five-wicket victory over Trent Rockets Women in the eighth match of The Hundred Women’s Competition 2026 at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on July 26, 2026. In a high-stakes encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final set of deliveries, London Spirit successfully chased down a competitive target of 143 runs with just three balls to spare. While player-of-the-match Nadine de Klerk stole the spotlight with an unbeaten blitz at the death, a moment of pure wicketkeeping magic from Amy Jones early in the first innings set the tone for a dramatic contest.
Amy Jones produces a lightning-quick stumping to remove Sophia Dunkley
The highlight of the early match action arrived during Trent Rockets’ innings when London Spirit glovewoman Jones displayed world-class reflexes behind the stumps. Trent Rockets opener Sophia Dunkley had started aggressively, racing to 23 off just 15 balls with four boundaries and a towering six. Looking to dominate veteran pacer Marizanne Kapp, Dunkley advanced down the track to a slightly back-of-a-length delivery outside off-stump, attempting a wild swipe across the line.
Dunkley missed the ball entirely, giving Jones a split-second window to act. Collecting the ball cleanly, Jones dislodged the bails in a flash. Replays showed that while Dunkley’s back toe was grounded on the turf, her heel remained hovering in the air behind the crease line. The sharp piece of glovework resulted in a crucial third-umpire dismissal, sending Dunkley back to the dugout and leaving Trent Rockets at 34 for 2. Kapp took advantage of the momentum, claiming early wickets to restrict the home side’s powerful top order.
Here’s the video:
Amy Jones’ RAPID reactions for Kapp’s 50th wicket 🥵#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/C6nhybYBCk
— The Hundred (@thehundred) July 26, 2026
London Spirit overcome Trent Rockets in The Hundred Women’s 2026 clash
Despite early setbacks, Trent Rockets recovered smartly to post a formidable total of 142 for 7 from their allotted 100 balls. Captain Ashleigh Gardner anchored the middle order with a brisk 34 off 22 balls, supported by useful contributions from Sophie Luff (24 off 19) and a late surge by Bess Heath, who remained unbeaten on 31 off 19 deliveries. Kapp was the pick of the bowlers for London Spirit, taking 2 wickets for just 12 runs in her 20-ball spell, while Charlie Dean chipped in with 2 for 18.
In response, London Spirit got off to a flyer thanks to Grace Harris, who smashed 37 off 20 balls inside the mandatory Powerplay. However, Trent Rockets fought back midway through the chase. Spinners Katie Levick and Samantha Bates slowed the scoring rate, removing key top-order batters to reduce Spirit to 67 for 4. Marie Kelly provided stability with a crucial 39 off 26 balls, but the match hung in the balance heading into the closing stages.
With 13 runs required off the final sets, South African all-rounder De Klerk delivered a masterclass in finishing. De Klerk blasted an unbeaten 41 off 22 balls, including three fours and two massive sixes, working alongside Charis Pavely to seal the five-wicket triumph on the 97th ball. The victory marks a major statement for London Spirit as they move up the tournament table in The Hundred 2026 campaign.
This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.
