Early success with the ball was preceded by an unbeaten 88 from David Malan as Trent Rockets continued their winning start in the Men’s Hundred at Headingley at the expense of Northern Superchargers.
Northern Superchargers: 152-8 in 100 balls – Wiese (50 off 27 balls), Van de Merwe (30 off 24 balls); Bravo (1-28 runs in 20 balls)
Trent Rockets: 155-3 in 94 balls – Malan (88 off 49 balls), Hales (43 off 27 balls); Sams (3-31 off 20 balls)
England pacer Luke Wood and teammate Luke Fletcher struck twice each as the Superchargers. Trent Rockets scored 152 for eight, thanks to David Wiese’s 50 for 27, scoring 68 for six after 53 balls.
But at a fast-scoring venue, it was never enough – and the Rockets won by seven wickets with six balls to spare.
David Malan, chasing the target at home, shared an 86-run partnership with opening partner Alex Hales (43). Malan hit three sixes in his 49-ball innings.
Namibian all-rounder Wiese hit five sixes with Van der Merwe (30) making an entertaining save. The seventh wicket pair added 83 runs in 44 overs.
It came after the home top-order collapsed against Fletcher’s precise and aggressive bowling and the left-arm pairing of Wood and Australian overseas Daniel Sams.
Sams collected the figures of the Rockets by taking three wickets for 31 runs in 20 balls. The first ball of the day from Rockets’ Luke Wood was caught by Superchargers’ Adam Leith.
Earlier, captain Faf du Plessis was dismissed for a duck by Sams and the Rockets were reduced to 14 for two.
Michael Pepper, Dwayne Bravo, John Simpson and Adam Hoss went on to get out after the start. Northern Superchargers batsman David Wiese completed his 50 runs against Trent Rockets with consecutive sixes.
Alex Hales and David Malan both hit more sixes at midwicket on the West Terrace to take the Rockets to 58 from 23 deliveries. When Hales and Koehler-Cadmore – Rashid and Ben Raine – were both dismissed in the space of 10 balls, the score fell to 93 for two after 62 balls.
However, David Malan completed his fifty in 36 balls and ensured that he led his team to victory with his highest score in The Hundred.