The Hundred Preview | Trent Rockets aim top of table finish with big win over Birmingham Phoenix

‌Trent Rockets will nurture their hopes of finishing on top of The Hundred Men’s 2025 points table when they welcome Birmingham Phoenix in their last group match at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Wednesday. The Rockets are currently placed second with 20 points from five wins in seven matches and four behind Oval Invincibles, who have completed their group stage engagements.

A big win against the Phoenix will help them improve their current net run rate of 0.441 and provide them with a chance to bypass the Invincibles, who have an NRR of 1.786. The table toppers, after the group stage of the competition, will directly progress to the final, with the second and third-placed teams facing off in the Eliminator.

Meanwhile, the visitors are already out of contention for a spot in the playoffs and are fourth with 12 points from seven games.  The Phoenix will play for pride and look to end the current edition of the tournament on a high.

Openers Tom Banton and Joe Root are the top run-getters for the Rockets this season with 227 and 203 runs, respectively, from seven matches. Marcus Stoinis tops the wicket charts for the home side with eight scalps from seven games at an average of 19.50 and a strike rate of 13.12, with Rehan Ahmed, David Willey, and Sam Cook picking up seven wickets each.

For the Phoenix, captain Liam Livingstone has led from the front, scoring 231 runs in this campaign at an average of 46.20 and a strike rate of 162.67. The England all-rounder has also picked up six wickets from six innings, averaging 19.66 and striking at a frequency of 15 balls. Medium pacer Benny Howell has been the Birmingham-based outfit’s top wicket-taker with eight wickets in seven matches.

Form Guide

TR Form: LWWLW

BP Form: WLWLW

TR vs BP head-to-head in The Hundred

The visitors hold an upper hand in this fixture with five wins in eight matches, while the Rockets have won three times. However, the contest has been on an even keel in the last four meetings, with both sides winning twice and the Rockets prevailing by six wickets in the most recent meeting earlier this month.  

TR 3 - 5 BP

Pitch and Conditions

The Trent Bridge surface has been flat and dry, with the strip tending to improve over the course of the match. Teams batting first have struggled on the surface, with the highest first innings score being 140 in the three games played at the venue this year. Moreover, the Rockets have been unbeaten at home this year, chasing down targets comfortably in all the matches.

It will be a cloudy and cool evening in Nottingham with temperatures expected to be around 11 degrees. The cloud cover will mean that there might be rain that may interrupt the game for a while, with the probability of a downpour placed at 21%.

Team News

Both teams are expected to field an unchanged side after wins in their respective previous matches.

TR Expected XI

Joe Root, Tom Banton, Rehan Ahmed, Max Holden, Tom Moores (wk), Marcus Stoinis, Sam Hain, David Willey (c), George Linde, Sam Cook, Lockie Ferguson.

BP Expected XI

Will Smeed, Ben Duckett, Joe Clarke (wk), Liam Livingstone (c), Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley, Liam Patterson-White, Benny Howell, Chris Wood, Adam Milne, Trent Boult.

Broadcasting Platforms 

The Trent Rockets vs Birmingham Phoenix match in The Hundred will be digitally streamed on the FanCode and SonyLiv apps and websites in India from 11:00 PM IST on Wednesday. The live telecast of the match will also be available on the Sony Sports Network.