The Analysis: Trent Rockets Women v Manchester Originals Women

NICK HOWSON looks at the stand-out moments from the clash at Trent Bridge as the competition reaches the final round

Brunt heroics come too late

Nat Sciver watched Trent Rockets lose their discipline as Manchester Originals chased down 123 to end their hopes of reaching the Eliminator.

It was a shambolic fielding display all-told, which lacked intensity and some of the fundamentals.

Take nothing away from Emma Lamb and Lizelle Lee, who are impeccable players, but they were helped along the way.

It began when the Rockets conceded five extras from the sixth delivery, as overthrows made their way to the boundary. That also accompanied Sciver burning the Rockets' only review.

And it got worse when Sarah Glenn put down an easy chance to dismiss Lamb at cover.

Sciver herself looked to have misjudged another chance to break the opening stand when Lamb sent Kathryn Bryce to the boundary.

Sammy-Jo Johnson then produced the misfield of the afternoon, allowing Lamb's sweep to go through her inadequate long barrier.

Skipper Sciver then banged in a bouncer which burst through the gloves of Rachel Priest and ran to the rope.

Twenty-one runs came via extras, most of which were from wides. Only Glenn and Johnson made more runs with the bat.

It was a shame that by the time Brunt produced the world-class moment of the game to dismiss Lamb with a full-length diving catch on the boundary, it paled into insignificance.

And it was not helped when Nancy Harman, following a period of pressure after Lamb's exit, couldn't get to Lee's top-edge which rolled for four. And that was that.

Hannah Jones - it was worth the wait

It took until August 5 for our first sighting on Hannah Jones in the women's Hundred. Indeed, she went a month without playing a single cricket match.

That decision wasn't totally inexplicable given the number of spinners the Originals have in their ranks. Sophie Ecclestone and Alex Hartley were hardly going to be dropped.

Though Jones has only featured during half of the campaign, she's made a decent impression.

The 22-year-old claimed 3 for 17 on debut against table-toppers Southern Brave. That was followed by some handy figures against London Spirit and the wicket of Jemimah Rodrigues against the Northern Superchargers.

Granted, this was not her best outing. Her 20 balls went for 30, but she regularly created opportunities. Jones dropped a catch off her own bowling during back-to-back sets of five, which went for just eight.

Nat Sciver took a liking to her mid-way through the innings, but she returned and saw Mignon du Preez put down two catches in the final set. They were tough chances, but nevertheless, it could have given her figures a positive veneer.

It was the sort of day you can have as a bowler. She'll bowl worse than this in the years to come and finish with better figures.

She returns to Lightning for the closing stages of the domestic season - she has already taken seven wickets across both competitions - an undoubtedly improved operator. And that is what we're all here for.

^{Katherine Brunt produced the stand-out moment of the match}

All over bar the laughing

Manchester Originals arrived in Nottingham with a less than one per cent chance of progressing to the Eliminator.

The Brave have already locked down (sorry) top spot and place in the Lord's showcase next weekend.

It was essentially two from four in the race for second and third ahead of the final round of games.

That meant the Originals travelled for their final group game with nothing more than pride to play for.

There is an argument that while each side plays eight matches every season, where you finish the previous year should influence the difficulty of your fixtures or perhaps your order in the next draft.

But that's for another day.

With all the pressure on the Rockets, the visitors were clearly keen on enjoying themselves. And that was no better displayed while in the field.

Captain Kate Cross threw the ball in from deep towards wicket-keeper Eleanor Threlkeld, got her range completely wrong and as her teammates backpedalled she took the stumps out.

Cue screams of laughter audible down the stump microphone.

It was a moment anyone who has spent a Sunday morning galavanting around the country only to get dispatched could relate to.

And it was a refreshingly light-hearted moment, as we approach the high-pressure, sharp-end of the competition. 

^{Nat Sciver saw the Rockets unravel}

A battered and bruised Trent Bridge

The pitches for The Hundred have been largely decent. The condensed nature of the tournament means fixtures have been crammed in and used pitches have been inevitable.

But we've only had the odd poor game undermined by a substandard surface. This definitely wasn't one of them.

It was hard to ignore the quality of the Trent Bridge outfield, however, which was brown, patchy in areas and ensured ground fielding was troublesome.

Diving around on the rough areas with the possibility of the ball popping up, or landing in a pile of dust doesn't sound like an appealing way to spend a weekend afternoon.

Though this is the final double-header being hosted at the home of Nottinghamshire, in just a few days the first showcase final of the English summer takes place.

The Royal London One-Day Cup takes the prime spot of a Thursday afternoon, next week. It is now likely to do so amid a very questionable outfield, which will draw further questions over the tournament from county fans who justifiably believe it has been shunned.

“I think, just as Edgbaston has managed to build Finals Day into something really special, I hope that Trent Bridge can buy into and really build the One-Day Cup into something really special," Neil Snowball told The Cricketer this week.

Steve Birks and his team have a job on their hands to ensure the pitch and surroundings are fitting of the 50-over tournament's history.

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