Joe Root ensured Trent Rockets will be involved in the latter stages of the Hundred as he steered them to a three-wicket victory over Welsh Fire.
The opener, who was caught off a David Payne no ball at the start of his innings, went on hit 64 not out – 11 of them from the first three balls of the final five.
Sam Hain then scored the decisive runs to take the Rockets past their target of 151 off the penultimate delivery, after Payne and Chris Green had taken two wickets apiece.
Welsh Fire had earlier posted 150 having slipped to 34 for two with opener Stephen Eskinazi and Tom Abell putting on 97 for the third wicket – Eskinazi making 53 and Abell 48 – with Sam Cook’s two for 15 represented the pick of the bowling.
Ben Duckett hit 49 not out to help Birmingham Phoenix to victory by seven wickets in their dead-rubber with Manchester Originals.
Originals were restricted to 109 for seven after only captain Phil Salt (31) and Heinrich Klaasen (34) were able to make starts, with Liam Livingstone the pick of the bowlers with two for 11 off his 20 balls.
It was never likely to be enough but Joe Clarke put any doubts aside with a sparkling innings of 40 off 21 balls before Duckett eased his team home for only their third win of the campaign.
In the women’s competition, Ellyse Perry’s unbeaten half-century provided the foundation for bottom-of-the-table Birmingham Phoenix to claim just their second win as they dented Manchester Originals’ eliminator hopes.
Perry’s 55, which included two sixes and five fours, and 43 not out from Sterre Kalis helped their side to a seemingly modest total of 111 for three.
However, they defended it with 16 runs to spare.
The Originals slumped to 14 for four and, despite Seren Smale’s 29, were dismissed for 95 as Megan Schutt claimed three wickets at a cost of just 20 runs.
Alana King took three for 17 as Trent Rockets kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the eliminator with a 23-run win over Welsh Fire.
The Rockets, who made 145 thanks to contributions of 38 from both Bryony Smith and Nat Sciver-Brunt, limited the home side to just 122 to send them into Wednesday’s final group stage game against Birmingham with a mathematical chance of progressing.
