A Player of the Match performance from Ash Gardner has seen the Trent Rockets easily account for the Welsh Fire in England's The Hundred competition.
The win keeps the Rockets in finals contention with four matches remaining in the tournament before this weekend's Eliminator.
Batting first at Cardiff on Sunday the Rockets posted a healthy 6/145, with 30-plus contributions coming from Gardner (36) Bryony Smith (38), Nat Sciver-Brunt (38).
In uncharacteristic fashion Gardner's innings didn't include a boundary, however three sixes saw her strike at close to 140 across 26 deliveries.
The Muruwari woman occupied the crease for the bulk of the Rockets' innings alongside Sciver-Brunt, the pair combining in a 67-run third wicket stand.
Seamer Freya Davies (3/26) was the Fire's best with the ball.
In response the Fire posted 9/122.
Ash Gardner gets the huge wicket of Hayley Matthews! 🤩#TheHundred | #RoadToTheEliminator pic.twitter.com/vyNWMbf0l4
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 24, 2025
Thee Rockets bowlers picking up multiple wickets, with Gardner picking up key scalps in the Fire's top order.
First she clean bowled West Indian international Hayley Matthews (18 from 12) at the 35-ball mark, before having Fire opener Sophia Dunkley (26 from 23) caught and bowled shortly afterwards.
The 28-year-old finished with tidy figures of 2/28 from her 20 balls.
Fellow Australian spinner Alana King was also in the wickets, taking 3/17, including an innings-high 13 dot balls, to see the Fire's innings fizzle out after the halfway stage of the chase.
The Rockets remain in fifth place on the table ahead of their final regular season match against the seventh placed Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday.
To qualify for Saturday's eliminator the Rockets will need to beat the Phoenix, improve their percentage and rely on other results to fall in their favour.
