Sophia Dunkley struck 65 as Trent Rockets beat Birmingham Phoenix by six wickets and climbed to the top of The Hundred table on 5 August 2026. BBC Sport

The Hundred is English cricket's 100-ball-per-side competition — each team faces 100 deliveries, and the side with more runs wins. For Trent Rockets, this result puts them at the summit of the standings, overtaking every rival in the women's draw.

Dunkley's 65 was the innings that set the tone. Coming in near the top of the order, she paced her knock with a mix of clean boundary-hitting and quick running, giving the Rockets' chase a platform that Phoenix never quite managed to shake. Six wickets in hand at the finish means the Rockets got home with comfort rather than scramble.

What makes this stand out is the pattern forming between these two sides. Just under two weeks earlier, on 24 July, Trent Rockets had already handed Birmingham Phoenix a thumping — a nine-wicket win in which Dunkley smashed 43 not out from 17 balls. On that occasion, Phoenix were skittled for just 64, a total the Rockets overhauled with barely a wicket lost. BBC Sport

So Dunkley now has two match-winning contributions against the same opponent in the space of twelve days. The first was a blitz — 17 balls, barely a quarter of an hour at the crease. The second was a longer, more measured effort: 65 runs, an innings built to last the distance. Different situations, same outcome. Phoenix will be relieved the league schedule means they do not face the Rockets again in the immediate near term.

For the Rockets, top spot at this stage of The Hundred carries real weight. The competition's format rewards consistency: the team finishing first advances directly to the final, while second and third play an eliminator for the other berth. Every win from here tightens the Rockets' grip on that direct route.

For Phoenix, the back-to-back defeats to the same opponent raise urgent questions about their bowling plans against Dunkley in particular and their middle-order depth more broadly. A total of 64 in the first meeting suggested a batting line-up still finding its rhythm; the second result, while closer in margin, still ended in a comfortable Rockets win.

The Rockets' rise to the top is not built on one player alone, but Dunkley's contributions across both fixtures against Phoenix have been the clearest difference between the sides. Her ability to shift gears — from 17-ball cameos to full-length innings — gives the Rockets flexibility at the top of the order that few teams in the competition can match.