When London Spirit needed someone to step up most, Nadine de Klerk delivered exactly that. The South African all-rounder smashed two sixes in the final four balls of the match to guide Spirit to a thrilling five-wicket win over Trent Rockets at Trent Bridge, sealing their first victory of The Hundred women's competition this season. Spirit chased down 143 runs with three balls still to play, finishing at 146-5 after 97 balls.
It was a nail-biter. Spirit stumbled to 67-4, having lost four wickets for just 12 runs, after losing quick wickets mid-inning. Things looked grim for the visiting side, which had gotten off to a flying start through Grace Harris, who blasted 37 runs from just 20 balls. But de Klerk and Marie Kelly dug in together, building a counter-attacking partnership of 63 runs from just 37 balls that completely turned the game around.
Kelly herself finished with 39 runs from 26 deliveries after a careful start. Once she departed with 13 runs still needed, de Klerk took over. Known as one of the best finishers in women's cricket over the past couple of years, she showed exactly why, hitting two sixes in the last four balls of the innings to seal a nerveless 41 not out from just 22 deliveries.
Earlier, it was de Klerk's fellow South African Marizanne Kapp who set the tone with the ball. Her fine spell of 3-12 disrupted the Rockets' batting early — she bowled Australian star Beth Mooney first ball and also dismissed Sophia Dunkley and Sophie Luff. For the Rockets, Ash Gardner top-scored with 34 runs from 22 balls, while Bess Heath added a quick 31 from 19 balls, helping their team reach 142-7. Charlie Dean also impressed for Spirit with figures of 2-18, keeping the run rate in check.
Both teams now have one win from two matches this season. The victory gives Spirit crucial momentum as they build on their campaign, while Rockets sit more comfortably in third place on the table thanks to a better net run rate. A second match that day between Manchester Super Giants and Birmingham Phoenix was rained out completely at Old Trafford.
For Spirit, this win marks a turning point — a reminder of what they're capable of when their stars fire under pressure.