Sophia Dunkley powers Trent Rockets to go level at top of table

With a fourth win on the bounce, Trent Rockets are top of the Hundred women's table after another masterclass from Sophia Dunkley seriously dented Birmingham Phoenix's chances of progressing to the latter stages. Dunkley is batting on a different plane. The Rockets star extended her lead at the top of this year's run-scoring charts and moved ahead of teammate Nat Sciver-Brunt at the top of the competition's all-time run-scorers despite missing most of England's World Cup journey. Her knock here was full of impudent cuts and deflections, allied to the kind of brutal ball-striking that saw her launch Australian leg-spinner Alana King 76 metres over mid-wicket, and propel herself to a 26-ball fifty with another maximum off the same bowler down the ground. Even the setback of losing two greats in two balls with the score on 82 - Sciver-Brunt the first to go for 24, and then Ash Gardner bounced out first ball by Lauren Filer - failed to stem her flow. A demonstration of game awareness and angle comprehension, Dunkley scored his third fifty in six innings. The moment Phoenix skipper Ellyse Perry plugged a gap, Dunkley found a way to exploit the field change. Her only errant move led to her downfall, caught at deep midwicket for 65 from 37, trying to launch an Alice Capsey off-break into the stands. Sophie Luff broke the game's back at that point with a flurry of boundaries to send the Rockets home with 16 balls left. Davina Perrin had started the Phoenix with a lot of energy, punching her way up to 18 in the first powerplay. However, when she missed a Kim Garth pass to Charley Phillips at midfield, Birmingham's usual issues with the bat surfaced once more. Capsey's challenging tournament continued, clean bowled by Phillips for 1, before Perry overbalanced against her compatriot Ash Gardner to be stumped by fellow Australian, Beth Mooney. And when Tammy Beaumont was run out from a bullet throw from Dunkley, the Phoenix were four down for just 55. The Phoenix owe a debt of gratitude to England international Emma Lamb and Annerie Dercksen for putting together a number that was manageable. In her first appearance in this year's competition, Lamb held the innings together with a composed 45, deploying her range of sweeps and scoops to deposit four boundaries behind square, and a fifth through the covers. With Dercksen, the pair added 45, before both fell to Garth, who picked up four wickets for 23. With Dunkley lurking, 122 was never likely to be enough and a third defeat in five leaves the Phoenix up against it ahead of the knockouts. "I just try to go out and play with freedom," Meerkat Match Hero Dunkley stated. Having such a good batting line-up gives us a lot of belief, and it's just nice to go out there and play. "We're so brave with the bat and we just keep taking the game on. That kind of aggression has been really good, and the bowlers are really tight, so all-round it's another really good performance."