Trent Rockets Men v Northern Superchargers Men - Brilliant Alex Hales puts a rocket up Ben Stokes’ Hundred hopes

Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan took three for 31 and South African paceman Marchant de Lange followed up his five for 20 against Southern Brave on Saturday with 3-2 as the Superchargers were bowled out for 132 in 99 balls, John Simpson top-scoring with 42 and off-spinner Matt Carter taking 2-17 on debut.

The Rockets lost eight wickets for 103 in a calamitous response and still needed 16 from the last 10 balls.

but Carter smashed a David Willey full toss for six and with the target eight from seven, Carter’s single off a Willey no ball for height brought it down to five from seven and Hales, who had been dropped on 16 when Ben Stokes let one through his hands on the boundary, took full advantage of the free hit to the delight of an 11,483 crowd.

The Rockets had Paul Franks in charge after head coach Andy Flower tested positive for Covid-19, which required a change on the field as well with Steven Mullaney forced to self-isolate after close contact either with Flower or one of two support staff members who also tested positive.

After electing to bat, Superchargers stumbled at the start, losing Chris Lynn and skipper Ben Stokes inside the first 17 balls as Carter – Mullaney’s replacement – celebrated his Hundred debut with two wickets.

Lynn sliced the off-spinner’s first ball to cover before Stokes miscued his attempt to clear extra cover and departed for five, safely pouched by Hales.

When Khan bowled Yorkshire’s Adam Lyth behind his legs sweeping, the Superchargers were 38 for 3-34.

Harry Brook and Simpson did some rebuilding, adding 61 from 40 balls before White Rose rising star Brook’s attempt to clear cover off Lewis Gregory went wrong.

Then four wickets in six balls wrecked any chance of a strong finish. Khan beat Yorkshire’s Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s attempted slog-sweep and Afghan compatriot Mujeeb Ur Rahman holed out to long-on, before two perished in two balls from the pace of De Lange, Willey finding fine leg with a ramp, Brydon Carse slicing to cover.

De Lange picked up a third when Simpson gave Hales his third catch and the innings ended on 99 balls when Adil Rashid, another of the White Rose contingent was run out, leaving the Rockets to chase 133.

The home side lost three wickets on 20, D’Arcy Short leg before sweeping Mujeeb before leg-spinner Rashid took two in two, trapping Yorkshire’s Dawid Malan lbw and inducing a return catch off a leading edge to dismiss England captain Joe Root first ball.

That became 58-6 as Samit Patel lofted Callum Parkinson for a towering six but nicked a drive to be caught behind off the same bowler. Tom Moores feathered one from Stokes, and Lewis Gregory, after pulling a six off Mujeeb that saw him almost caught, was bowled by Parkinson.

Khan smote 25 from 11 balls but then top-edged Stokes to be caught behind, and Hales, unable to get going, had some luck when Stokes dropped one over the rope for six off Rashid.

Wood was lbw to Mujeeb, but Carter pulled Stokes for four and Hales slog-swept him for six to set up the dramatic finale.

Superchargers’ top scorer John Simpson said Stokes’ dropped catch had proved costly in the final analysis:

“It shows in this competition if you have someone like Hales in at the end he can win games from anywhere.

“You always know he can switch up a gear, which is what he did at the end.

“For the majority of the innings we thought we had the game in the bag but we didn’t bowl as well as we could at the end.

“We thought our total was competitive but a bit under par but we have some exceptional spinners in the side and they really squeezed it in the middle and we thought from that point we should have defended it.

“But as the old saying goes catches win matches and the one that Ben dropped changed the momentum and we couldn’t quite get over the line.”

Matchwinner Hales said: “It was a really scrappy, kind of ugly win, although I guess that’s the sign of a good team.

“We had our backs to the wall through a lot of the game but still managed to come out on top.

““I took a long time to get going. I found the fielders a lot in the early part of the innings, didn’t have a lot of the strike.

“It was not an easy pitch and they have a high-class spin attack and I always felt if I was there at the end we would have a chance,” he added.

“Rashid, Lewis and Matt played some important roles to rescue momentum near the end and the dropped catch by Stokes was a huge moment. I don’t think I’ve seen him drop one even in practice and I’m pleased to have made the most of it.”