Both Trent Rockets sides topped their group tables this year, and it isn’t a coincidence. Across eight matches each, the men won six and the women won seven, the best combined record in the competition’s six-season history. On Sunday, both teams take the field at Lord’s within four hours of each other, a first for any franchise since the competition began six seasons back. Behind that overlap sits one boardroom, a connected coaching staff, and a recruitment plan built firmly on continuity.
Two Group Tables, One Shared Story
Trent Rockets carry the smallest franchise valuation in the competition, roughly £79 million when the eight sides were sold to private investors in 2025. Asset manager Cain International took a 49% minority stake, while Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club kept 51% and full operational control. Where rival franchises responded to new money by overhauling staff and importing overseas coaches, Rockets left their structure largely alone. Director of Cricket Mick Newell stayed in his role without external interference, and the club’s own continuity became its competitive edge.
Trent Rockets Hundred 2026 finals
Here is how both squads reached Lord’s.
Team (Trent Rockets) | Group Stage Record | Final Standing | Tournament Top Performers |
|---|---|---|---|
Men’s | Qualified directly for the final | Playing in the Final at Lord’s | Mitchell Marsh (416 runs), Richard Gleeson (14 wickets) |
Women’s | Finished 2nd in group, qualified via Eliminator | Playing in the Final at Lord’s | Phoebe Litchfield (293 runs), Deepti Sharma & Tilly Corteen-Coleman (13 wickets) |
One Coaching Culture, Two Head Coaches
Peter Moores and Chris Read run separate dressing rooms but draw from the same well. Moores was promoted from assistant to head coach ahead of this season after Andy Flower departed for London Spirit, and he led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title the year before. Read is a former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper-captain, and both men are Trent Bridge products through and through. Analyst Holly Armitage covers both squads, and fielding coach Carl Hopkinson has driven standards across the whole camp.
Recruitment followed the same logic. Rockets brought in Jamestown Analytics, an offshoot of Tony Bloom’s Starlizard consultancy, to sit at both auction tables, and their clearest fingerprint was pushing hard for Australian left-arm spinner Samantha Bates at her £15,000 base price. Bates repaid that call with 11 wickets at an economy of 6.4, becoming the women’s leading wicket-taker.
Sophia Dunkley’s Batting Engine
Sophia Dunkley leads the women’s competition in runs, and her 33-ball 56 against Sunrisers Leeds earned Player of the Match and set the tone for the campaign. She was one of four players prioritised before the auction even opened, alongside Nat Sciver-Brunt, Ashleigh Gardner, and Kim Garth. The depth around her has mattered as much as her own form.
Nat Sciver-Brunt’s 67 not out from 36 balls against MI London, built inside a 118-run stand with Beth Mooney, was the second-highest partnership in the competition’s women’s history. That pairing of power and placement let Read’s side chase almost any total put in front of them, a point proven early when Rockets bowled Birmingham Phoenix out for 64, the second-lowest total in the women’s Hundred’s history, and won by nine wickets.
The Men’s Tactical Rebuild
The men’s campaign began with a correction. Rockets reached last year’s final but lost to three-time champions Oval Invincibles after leaning on spin-friendly Trent Bridge pitches at home. This year, Moores and Newell rebuilt around athleticism and power hitting instead, a decision that included releasing Joe Root after five seasons with the club. Ben Duckett became the competition’s leading run-scorer, striking three half-centuries and anchoring the top of the order, and his 64 from 47 balls against Sunrisers Leeds paired with Aneurin Donald’s 40 from 19 to set the template early.
Tim David, signed for £350,000 as the squad’s most expensive player, supplied finishing power, while Mohammad Amir picked up crucial wickets at the death. Moores pointed to the fielding as the clearest sign of team cohesion, singling out David’s diving catch of James Vince and Duckett’s run-out of Nicholas Pooran in successive balls at The Oval as among the best fielding passages he has ever watched. That connection across coaching, recruitment, and execution is what has carried both squads to the Trent Rockets Hundred 2026 finals on the same Lord’s afternoon.
Which squad claims the trophy first on Sunday, the men or the women? Drop your pick in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Have Trent Rockets men’s and women’s teams both reached the Hundred final?
Yes, both sides finished top of their group tables in 2026 and qualified automatically for Lord’s. It is the first time one franchise has topped both tables in the same season.
Who coaches Trent Rockets?
Peter Moores coaches the men’s side and Chris Read coaches the women’s side. Moores led Nottinghamshire to the County Championship title the previous season, and Read is a former Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper-captain.
How did Trent Rockets qualify for the final?
Both squads finished top of their group tables and received automatic byes into the final. The women won seven of eight matches and the men won six of eight, the best combined record in the competition’s history.
Who are Trent Rockets’ key players this season?
Ben Duckett and Sophia Dunkley lead the men’s and women’s run charts respectively. Duckett struck three fifties while Dunkley’s 33-ball 56 won her Player of the Match.
When is the Hundred final at Lord’s?
Both finals are played on Sunday at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. The women’s match starts at 2:15pm and the men’s final follows at 6pm the same day.