BRAVE MILLS DOWNS ROCKETS

TYMAL MILLS stepped to the fore last night as an amalgamation of England’s fringe XI propelled Southern Brave past the misfiring Trent Rockets by seven wickets in yesterday’s men’s Hundred eliminator. Mills, 29, marched in with speeds around the 90mph mark to share seven wickets with the international pedigree of Craig Overton and Chris Jordan and blow away a timid Rockets line-up. Mills’ three wickets came for eight runs. James Vince picked up the mantle alongside Ireland’s Paul Stirling with the bat — the Englishman looking in fine touch in a well-crafted 45 — to smash his side to victory with 32 balls left. It amounted to bullying on the cricket field and spells an enticing encounter between Brave and Birmingham Phoenix tonight at Lord’s. Rockets were sent in to bat as Alex Hales opened with Dawid Malan and they looked to propel the Rockets to fast a start. Though it was neither of these two players with England experience that drew initial impetus but paceman George Garton as he had both Hales and Malan nicking off to wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock. After Samit Patel and Tom Moores departed for 20 and 19 respectively, the wickets kept tumbling as the pacy outfit of Mills, Overton and Jordan sensed blood. The Rockets appeared bereft of ideas on their approach to a tricky Oval wicket in a dismal 96 all out with nine balls to spare. Brave lived up to their team name in the run chase with Stirling and Vince steering them to tonight’s showpiece. Earlier, a four-wicket bowling display from Oval Invincibles’ Tash Farrant saw her side bowl out Birmingham Phoenix and ease to a 20-run victory in the women’s Hundred eliminator. The Invincibles posted a belowpar 114 with seven dismissals on a difficult Oval surface. Chasing, captain Amy Jones looked to be steering her Phoenix side home before Farrant dismissed the wicketkeeper for 35 as the last five batters perished for 14 runs between them.