Haris Rauf stars as Welsh Fire beat Trent Rockets despite Imad Wasim's performance

Welsh Fire beat Trent Rockets in a thrilling encounter at a raucous Trent Bridge in The Hundred on Saturday.

The climax saw Luke Wood unable to score off the final ball from Haris Rauf, sealing the Rockets' fate at 125-8 while chasing a 130-run target. Rauf's expert bowling, supported by David Payne, resulted in a dramatic collapse, taking three wickets in as many balls.

Sam Hain found himself stranded on 22 off 26 balls at the non-striker's end, watching as Wood faced Rauf after a close call on a potential no-ball off the penultimate delivery. Rauf concluded his spell with two wickets for just 15 runs from his 20 balls.

Welsh Fire, having been asked to bat first, saw Jonny Bairstow top-score with a fluent 55 off 45 balls, the standout performance on a pitch favoring spinners. His battle with Joe Root, who bowled economical round-arm off-breaks, conceding only 19 runs from his 20-ball quota, was a key subplot. Imad Wasim eventually dismissed Bairstow, finishing with figures of 2 for 23 from his 20 balls.

Welsh Fire's 129 for 6 was a competitive score, but with Joe Root steadying the Rockets' innings after a brisk start from Alex Hales and Tom Banton, the hosts seemed in control. However, an extraordinary comeback from Fire has thrown them back into contention, denying the Rockets a chance to top the table.