Callum Matthews
BBC Sport cricket writer

Trent Rockets became the first team to guarantee their place in the men's Hundred play-offs with a comfortable 29-run win over a woeful Welsh Fire.

Rockets made 172-4 and Fire crawled to 143-6 as they registered their eighth successive defeat, meaning they become the first side in the competition's history to finish winless.

England's Dawid Malan made his fourth half-century of this year's competition as he made 58 off 37, while Alex Hales added 38 and Australia's Daniel Sams smacked 31 off 14.

All-rounder Matt Critchley top-scored with an unbeaten 55 but Fire were never really in the chase, needing 70 to win from the final 20 balls and making only 143-6.

The result takes Rockets to 12 points and means they will definitely finish in the top three. Whether they finish top, and therefore qualify automatically for Saturday's final, will depend on London Spirit's result against Birmingham Phoenix on Tuesday.

Spirit are able to match Rockets' 12 points with a win, but will need to improve their net run-rate to climb up a place and demote Rockets to Friday's eliminator.

Here's what else happened:

• Left-arm seamer Luke Wood had to be taken out of the attack after bowling two no-balls over waist height in the penultimate set of the chase.
• Malan has now scored 358 runs in this year's tournament, more than last year's top-scorer Liam Livingstone (348) made, with potentially two more games in the tournament.
• Rockets' spin duo of Tabraiz Shamsi and Samit Patel were both brilliant, claiming 2-12 and 2-23 respectively.
• There was an injury concern for Patel, who took his place in the Rockets dugout, rather than fielding, after finishing his 20 balls.

Image source, BBC Sport

James Taylor
Former England batter on BBC Radio

A very convincing win. Trent Rockets have done what they have done all tournament. They got runs on the board early with their seasoned experienced batters standing up once again. They were then backed up brilliantly by their spinners. Their seamers also chipped in and were backed up in the field. You can see how together they are and are led well by Lewis Gregory. It's great to see.

Image source, Getty Images

Match Hero and Rockets batter Dawid Malan: "We got a couple away early. The wicket then slowed up a bit and it came harder to bat on so it was lucky I got away early and gave us a bit of momentum.

"The point of the group stage is to get into that top three. Hopefully we go can straight to the final and save us one more game. But it's fantastic to qualify.

"We've got a good bunch of guys. Everyone knows each other. We have a similar squad to last year and a lot of Notts boys. So it is going really well and when you win it creates a good environment so hopefully it can continue.

"When you are scoring runs you want to contribute to winning games. It's pointless if you are not winning. So if you can keep contributing to winning games that's the goal."

Not much to cheer for Welsh Fire. Even Matt Critchley looked thoroughly miserable after making fifty...

Image source, BBC Sport

Rockets sitting pretty. They will go straight to the final if London Spirit are beaten at Lord's by Birmingham Phoenix tomorrow night.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Radio

Welsh Fire from the word go were never really in this game and now have the indignity of losing eight straight games in the Hundred.

Rockets winpublished at 21:53 British Summer Time 29 August 2022

21:53 BST 29 August 2022

A dot and a couple of singles to finish. Welsh Fire end up on 143-6 - 30 runs short.

Trent Rockets confirm a place in the Eliminator with a thumping victory.

There will not be a long list of people looking to take over as coach from Gary Kirsten if, as expected, he leaves Welsh Fire.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Radio

Where did that come from? Josh Cobb has just pounded a six out of nowhere!

Fire 141-5published at 4 balls left

4 balls left

Sweet as a nut. Josh Cobb strikes Sam Cook cleanly straight down the ground for a big six.

James Taylor
Former England batter on BBC Radio

Matt Critchley has been given an opportunity and has grabbed it. He has been promoted up the order after a good performance against London Spirit.

He has done what is needed, he's just needed other people to do it with him.

Fifty for Critchleypublished at 6 balls left

6 balls left

Oh dear, Luke Wood bowls another no-ball beamer and has to be hauled out of the attack. Matt Critchley hit it for four, mind. He has 50.

Daniel Sams will complete Wood's over.

Luke Wood with a dot, single and a four from the bat of Matt Critichely. He's on 49 not out. Can he get his half-century in this set?

James Taylor
Former England batter on BBC Radio

Tabraiz Shamsi has shown why he is one of the most sought-after spinners in the world and tonight he has had a surface that he will want to carry around the world with him.

Luke Wood with a no-ball beamer to start.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Radio

52 needed off 10.

It has to be sixes and it has to be a lot of them.

Dropped catchpublished at 11 balls left

11 balls left

Daniel Sams is launched into the night sky by Josh Cobb and Luke Wood is not quite able to anticipate where the ball is coming from on the boundary.

Wood goes back, then realises it's not going to carry and rushes forward. However, he spills the catching chance.

Sams not best pleased. Worst still, Matt Critchley lashes it for four next ball.

Blond-haired speedster Luke Wood back into the attack. He's clocking it up in the high eighties.

But Matt Critchely is not fazed. Baseball-style he pings Wood's second ball straight down the ground for four, the umpire ducking out of the way fearing it was coming straight down his throat. "Not the face, not the face!"

However, seven off that set is not quite enough at this stage.

Aatif Nawaz
BBC Radio

What a connection. What a shot.