Jonny Bairstow makes the difference as Trent Rockets botch another chase

In The Hundred, Welsh Fire defeated Trent Rockets in an exciting match played at a boisterous Trent Bridge, with Jonny Bairstow defeating long-time teammate Joe Root in the battle of the England superstars.

Up until the thrilling final seconds, when Fire made a string of outstanding outfield catches to turn the tide of the match in their favour, Rockets looked to be the favourites for the majority of the game. After that, David Payne and Haris Rauf played a composed final set to win by a margin of four runs.

Rashid Khan was the first of the four wickets to go in the thrilling climax, which saw four wickets fall in the last ten balls. Root had earlier been removed for 17 in a hilarious fashion with to a stunning throw from Joe Clarke at backward point. Khan was the second Rockets batter to be run out.

Despite being undefeated at the end, Sam Hain’s 26-ball 22 was insufficient to complete the task, as he was involved in both mishaps.

Jonny Bairstow, who was asked to bat first by Fire, was the most composed batsman on display. His 45-ball fifty-five proved to be the game-winning strike in a match when the spinners had the upper hand.

There were other subplots as Fire battled for every score they could scavenge on a field taking significant spin, including his match against Root, who bowled a sequence of round-arm off-breaks from behind the wicket, going for just 19 runs from his 20-ball quota.

Rockets seemed to be in charge, but Root responded well to a fast start from Alex Hales and Tom Banton, making their 129 for 6 a respectable score. A victory would have put them atop the standings, but thanks to that incredible comeback, Fire has surged back into contention.

Jonny Bairstow, who was the Meerkat Match Hero, stated: “We’ve had a few close ones; that kind of competition brings out different qualities in different players, especially the way our bowlers finished the game off and the way Abes [Tom Abell] captained – showing bravery when it was called for.

“It’s always quite helpful to have two run outs on the field. The fielding of all the guys was excellent, and the bowlers do not need to take two wickets. Despite a few setbacks, nobody has become overly depressed; instead, everyone has maintained their composure, and we’ve discussed taking on the challenge.

Also Read: Watch: Rashid Khan fires a flashy helicopter shot in The Hundred 2024 versus Welsh Fire

Regarding his competition with his dear buddy Root: “He really did bottle it! He didn’t even make a joke! “I told him before he started, ‘It’s me or you here,’ and the next thing I knew, he was bowling lower than Malinga.”