Dawid Malan hit the second-highest score in the the men's Hundred to help ease Trent Rockets to a comfortable seven-wicket victory over Northern Superchargers at Headingley.

Malan, who was dropped on nine, smashed an unbeaten 88 from 49 balls as Rockets chased 153 with six balls to spare to make it two wins from two.

The England batter’s score was just shy of the record 92 scored by Liam Livingstone for Birmingham Phoenix against the Superchargers in last year’s competition.

Rockets opener Alex Hales continued his fine start to the competition with a blistering 43 from 27 balls as he and Malan put on 86 for the first wicket.

• Malan provides reminder of his and Rockets' class

Here’s what also happened:

• Superchargers opener Adam Lyth, who hit a 50 in his first game, was out with the first ball of the match, skewing a pull shot off Luke Wood into the air for Luke Fletcher to take the catch.

• Fletcher also impressed with the ball, taking 2-22 from just 15 deliveries, his second wicket courtesy of a wonderful catch by Joe Root to dismiss the dangerous Dwayne Bravo for 19.

• Adam Hose was stumped by wicketkeeper Tom Kholer-Cadmore for 14 to leave the Superchargers reeling on 6-68, though the decision was so tight even the third umpire was flustered.

• David Wiese and Roelof van der Merwe then combined to haul Superchargers up to a competitive total, putting on 83 for the seventh wicket.
• Wiese’s blistering 50 from just 27 balls featured a massive six that landed on the Headingley Roof, with van der Merwe adding 30 from 24 balls before being dismissed by Daniel Sams with the final ball of the innings.
• The Superchargers were left to rue some sloppy fielding, including Adam Hose dropping Malan when he was on just nine. Wiese also spilled a routine catch on the boundary from Colin Munro.

What's next?

Northern Superchargers travel south to take on the Oval Invincibles on Thursday. The game starts at 15:00 BST, with the women's sides playing each other at 18:30 BST.

Trent Rockets head to Old Trafford to play Manchester Originals on Saturday at 14:30, with the women’s match starting at 11:00.

Match Hero Dawid Malan: "I'm very pleased. To restrict them to what we did on that wicket was very good, I think we let them get slightly too many but it was great for us to chase them the way we did.

"I'm feeling good. I got away with a couple there and a few sneaky edges but Headingley is a great place to bat. Adil Rashid gave me the look of death after that six!

"This ground is very high-scoring. It's quite small so if you middle one then you get good value. You're never out of the game here.

"I do my best work when I open the batting, because I know I can catch up."

Rashid was in the action again, taking this sublime catch...

But ultimately, there was one man who made the real difference. Dawid Malan played an outrageous innings, smashing the ball to all parts of Headingley.

Trent Rockets opening batter Alex Hales: "Very pleased. It was important not to lose early wickets in that chase and that partnership between myself and Malan was a perfect start so it was nice to get us over the line.

"It was a good batting pitch, we thought they were maybe 20 under par.

"I hope I still have a chance to get back in an England shirt. The last three years have probably been the best I've ever played in T20 cricket. There's a World Cup coming up in Australia, I've got a lot of runs there so I still have plenty to offer."

Trent Rockets got off to a flier. Alex Hales smashed a brilliant 47 off 27 balls, before being dismissed by Adil Rashid.

David Wiese: "They outplayed us in all facets. We didn't get off to a good start. We had chances, one or two catches didn't go our way. But we were outplayed."

Superchargers were 68-6 before David Wiese played a brutal innings, scoring 50 off 27 balls.

There was also the odd bit of controversy.

Root on the superb catch to dismiss DJ Bravo: "I was trying to get somewhere close to it. It was straight in the catch. I tried to stay low as a I could and keep my eye on the ball."

Trent Rockets day could not have started any better.

Trent Rockets batter Joe Root: "It's a great start. Brilliant partnership to get things going. When you chase the score down like that it makes everything better.

"The right hand and left hand combination is brilliant. [Hales and Malan] hit different areas. We all know how dangerous Alex Hales can be and great to see them both in good form which is important at the start of a tournament like this."

He does it in style! A reverse paddle for four.

Trent Rockets beat Northern Superchargers by seven wickets in 94 balls. Dominant.

Dawid Malan is unbeaten on 88 from 49 deliveries. What a terrific cricketer.

Whether it was out or not does not matter. Dawid Malan finds the boundary for the 10th time. The batting pair exchange singles.

Malan on strike. Two runs needed for a convincing win.

Chris Woakes
England all-rounder on BBC Two

Colin Munro doesn't seem too happy, he seems to think he hasn't hit the ball there.

Malan misses out on a full toss from DJ Bravo. Should really have been send packing through the off side. But with Malan on 79 off 46, we can let him off.

There's a muted appeal for a caught behind with Munro on strike. Superchargers, without any real conviction, review. I don't feel it's out.

Fortune does not favour Northern Superchargers. Malan looks to hoick into the leg side and an outside edge sends the ball sailing over for four.

For what feels like the millionth time, the ball drops short of a fielder running in from the deep.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Two

Nothing has gone the Superchargers' way, though Trent Rockets have earned their luck thanks to some superb batting.

There's time and enough runs for Malan to enter that top four.

And he moves closer with an outside edge for four. Malan is now on 72 off 42.

Rockets need 17 off 17.