Imad Wasim continues to shine for Trent Rockets in The Hundred

Alex Hales played a crucial role in helping the Trent Rockets return to the top three of The Hundred men's competition with a 22-run victory over the London Spirit at Trent Bridge. The 35-year-old delivered a powerful performance, smashing five sixes in a commanding 68 off 42 balls. Rashid Khan, named player of the match, further solidified the win by taking three wickets in his first six deliveries, though Andre Russell provided a late scare with some massive hits.

After losing their previous two games, the Rockets scored 166 for four, with Tom Banton and Joe Root offering strong support to Hales. Hales had struggled in his previous 11 innings but found his form, contributing to a 93-run surge in the latter part of the innings. Banton struck 36 from 25 balls to lay a solid foundation, while Root's 32 off 23 balls ensured a strong finish. Hales briefly left the field after being hit by a Nathan Ellis delivery but returned to guide his team.

Imad Wasim made an early impact with the ball, dismissing Spirit opener Michael Pepper for 2 and trapping Ollie Pope lbw for 10, reducing Spirit to 41-2. He ended with 2 wickets for 26 runs, making him the fifth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 8 wickets at an average of 12.8 and an economy of 6.4.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan made a significant mark, claiming four wickets for 24 runs. Dan Lawrence's aggressive approach against Khan backfired, leading to his dismissal and Shimron Hetmeyer being given out lbw on review. Keaton Jennings scored 31 off 18 balls but fell to a reverse sweep caught by Banton.

Andre Russell’s late hitting included two massive sixes, thrilling the crowd of 10,564, but Luke Wood’s clever slower ball eventually dismissed Russell. Matt Critchley added 37 from 30 balls, but Sam Cook closed out the innings, leaving the Spirit with just one win from five games and nearly out of the running for the knockout stages.