Natalie Sciver rued Trent Rockets’ inability to form a match-winning partnership after the hosts fell 23 runs short in their first The Hundred game despite a 44-run contribution from the captain. 

After the hosts were restricted to 133, opposing skipper Anya Shubsole wreaked havoc with the ball, taking four wickets for 13 from 20 deliveries, to cap her 30-ball 40 with the bat. 

“At the interval we were happy with the way we restricted them,” Sciver said. 

“We didn’t get off to a great start, and it is difficult batting at the top of the order in short format cricket. We got a partnership together but couldn’t accelerate enough.

“We were happy in parts, but with the bat we needed another partnership.”

West Indies’ all-rounder Stafanie Taylor top-scored with 45 from 31 balls for the Brave, before Sciver gave the home side a chance as she and England team-mate Katherine Brunt (22) put on 66 from 56 balls. But after both were out in quick succession, Rockets did not have the firepower to get close.

Although Shrubsole took the plaudits for her wickets, with an economy rate of just 0.67 runs per ball, Amanda-Jade Wellington’s miserly leg-spin played an important part, the Australian conceding only 10 runs in 20 balls.

After opting to bowl first, Rockets had Brave 53 for four at halfway before Taylor and Shrubsole asserted themselves, their unbroken partnership of 86 from 45 deliveries giving the visiting side something for their bowlers to defend.  

This came after the Brave’s top three had all misfired.  Smriti Mandhana fell to her second ball, brilliantly caught by Michaela Kirk at deep midwicket, Sophia Dunkley was run out thanks to Sarah Glenn’s superb stop and instant throw in from mid-off to the bowler’s end, while Danni Wyatt’s towering steepler to mid-on was no problem for Johnson as Brave stumbled to 14 for three from 19 balls.

Mara Bouchier cracked three boundaries from 13 balls but miscued Glenn’s leg spin to give extra cover a regulation catch, and when Wellington was well held at backward point, Brave were struggling at 57 for five from 55, before Shrubsole and Taylor began to dominate. 

“Our fielding was brilliant,” Sciver said. 

“We practice those skills in training, and we were pleased it came off. In the games we have had, the atmosphere has been brilliant and that can put the pressure on, but we managed to use that to our advantage with the ball.

“In general we were good in the field and it is something we can look to rely on, with the bat we just needed another partnership.”

Rockets lost both openers in the first eight balls of the chase as Rachel Priest hit straight to mid-on and Johnson skewed Lauren Bell to midwicket.

A flurry of boundaries from Sciver had the Rockets in front at 31 for two from the Powerplay but Wellington delivered the first maiden set of five in the women’s competition so far and stayed on to concede just five singles in her next set. The Rockets needed 83 at halfway and had a chance while the third-wicket pair were together. 

But the picture changed as both fell in the space of three balls, the former deceived by Bell’s slower ball before Brunt’s slog-sweep to Taylor was top-edged to square leg.

Another miserly 10 off the reel from Wellington, giving away just six runs, left Rockets with too much to do with 51 needed off 20.

“Bringing batters in at the right time is key. If everything goes right, not many end up batting, and that’s the challenger,” Sciver said, reflecting on how she may change her line-up to strengthen the batting department.

“It’s not a crisis meeting after one game. Hopefully that comes together in time for the next game.”