London Spirit stun Trent Rockets by 21 runs despite Stoinis’ all-round heroics at Lord’s

Marcus Stoinis' all-round performance (2-17 and 35* off 22 balls) went in vain as London Spirit secured a stunning 21-run victory over Trent Rockets at Lord's on Thursday. Invited to bat, Spirit lost the wicket of in-form opener David Warner early.

However, Jamie Smith and Kane Williamson set the foundation for Spirit's massive total with a brilliant partnership of 73 runs in just 45 balls. Smith, who had taken charge early in the innings by hitting two sixes, interestingly could not keep up with Williamson in the second wicket stand after being caught out on 22. Williamson also had a bit of luck, but soon became aggressive, hitting a four and a six by pulling and cutting off Stoinis. 

When Smith tried to aggressively attack again, he made a mistake by cutting towards extra cover and was dismissed shortly after reaching his half-century. Williamson was also out soon after, stumped off Rehan Ahmed's googly. Ollie Pope and Ashton Turner eventually hit consecutive boundaries to give Spirit the lead and reach a strong total of 162 for 5. 

In reply, the Rockets got off to a solid start in their chase, with openers Tom Banton and Joe Root adding a 73-run stand in just 52 balls. However, they lacked support to carry the effort further. As the required run rate increased, attempts to hit big shots backfired. They lost four wickets in 14 balls, and their momentum in the chase dropped. 

Stoinis tried to keep the Rockets in the game, but there wasn't enough aggression from the other end. Tom Alsop was hit on the face by a delivery from Jamie Overton and had to leave the field with an injury after hitting his helmet's grill. Richard Gleeson dismissed Max Holden and Adam Hose. Despite some big hits at the end from Stoinis, the Rockets' chances of winning were essentially gone, marking their first defeat of the season.