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Dawid Malan struck a magnificent 98 from 44 balls as Trent Rockets completed the highest run-chase of the men’s Hundred to thrash Manchester Originals. <\/span><\/p>\n Phil Salt starred with an unbeaten 70 for the Originals as they posted 189-3, the second-highest total scored in the competition. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n But Malan, with support from Alex Hales and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, made the chase look effortless as his team reached the total for the loss of just two wickets and with six balls to spare.<\/span><\/p>\n Malan’s classy innings included nine sixes and followed his unbeaten 88 against Northern Superchargers.<\/span><\/p>\n Originals would have been confident at the halfway stage, boosted by Salt’s knock and Tristan Stubbs’ 27 from just 10 balls. <\/span><\/p>\n But those hopes soon diminished when Malan and Hales smashed a partnership of 85 from just 38 balls to set up the chase.<\/span><\/p>\n It means the Rockets have won three games from three, while Originals are yet to find their first win.<\/span><\/p>\n Over the bridge in Cardiff, Welsh Fire suffered the same fate as the Originals as Birmingham Phoenix’s bowlers led a spirited fightback to win by just four runs. <\/span><\/p>\n Fire won the toss and chose to bowl and it looked like the right call when they restricted Phoenix to 130 – seamers George Scrimshaw and David Payne taking two wickets each. <\/span><\/p>\n Will Smeed, who scored The Hundred’s first century just three days ago, fell for a duck before England stars Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone also fell cheaply.<\/span><\/p>\n Fire’s chase started disastrously with Joe Clarke departing from the first ball of the innings but Tom Banton’s 44 put them back on track. <\/span><\/p>\n But some outstanding bowling from Kane Richardson and Benny Howell heaped the pressure on and despite David Miller finishing 35 not out, Fire fell short in a game they should certainly have won.<\/span><\/p>\n In the women’s Hundred, Trent Rockets and Birmingham Phoenix started their campaigns with wins over Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire respectively. <\/span><\/p>\n Australia leg-spinner Alana King took the first hat-trick in a women’s Hundred match as Trent Rockets eased to victory at Old Trafford.<\/span><\/p>\n On her debut in the competition, King dismissed Cordelia Griffith, Sophie Ecclestone and Kate Cross in consecutive deliveries before leaping towards her Rockets team-mates in celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n In total the 26-year-old took four wickets for just 15 runs, scored 19 from nine balls with the bat and took a fine diving catch.<\/span><\/p>\n In an inspired performance in the field, England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn also took two wickets and a stunning one-handed grab as the Rockets defended 120 by bowling the Originals out for 76 to win by 43 runs.<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, in Cardiff, Birmingham Phoenix struck the second-highest total in the women’s Hundred, cruising to 161-5 as they beat Welsh Fire by 19 runs at Sophia Gardens.<\/span><\/p>\n Australia all-rounder Ellyse Perry hit 58 off 31 deliveries on her Hundred debut for the Phoenix after New Zealander Sophie Devine had earlier fallen for 48 from 25 balls.<\/span><\/p>\n Bowler Claire Nicholas, who finished with figures of 2-26, was a rare bright spark for the Fire who otherwise struggled to limit their free-scoring opponents.<\/span><\/p>\n Captain Tammy Beaumont was the lynchpin in the hosts’ chase, hitting 39 runs off 35 balls with her side eventually making 142-5.<\/span><\/p>\n But when she and Annabel Sutherland (34 off 21) fell in quick succession in the closing stages, there only looked to be one winner, as Georgia Elwiss took 2-29 for the visitors.<\/span><\/p>\nKing takes a hat-trick & Phoenix edge past Fire – women’s round-up<\/h3>\n