Stoinis, Root fail to fire but Rockets still blast offIan ChadbandAAPSat, 9 August 2025 6:23AM
Apart from clouting one monster six, Marcus Stoinis has made a disappointing individual return to England’s Hundred tournament – yet he could still afford a smile after his Trent Rockets side blasted off with a win at Edgbaston.
Three years since his last, fairly underwhelming spell with Southern Brave, the powerful Australian allrounder was out to shine as a big-name capture for the Nottingham-based Rockets.
But the 35-year-old proved their most expensive bowler against Birmingham Phoenix on Friday night, recording figures of 0-34 off his 20 deliveries, before then being dismissed for just seven.
Yet even though both the Perth star and Joe Root, the world’s No.1 Test batter, could only muster 13 runs between them, the Rockets still made light work of chasing down Birmingham’s mediocre 6-122 to win by six wickets, with 22 of their 100-ball allocation still remaining.
Instead, the batting donkey work was done by England’s often underrated international Tom Banton, who provided a reminder of his excellence with a destructive knock of 43 off 29 balls that featured three fours and three sixes.
It was the highest score on a night when Banton outshone more vaunted English colleagues.
Birmingham had had to rely on an innings-high 39 from captain Liam Livingstone after Ben Duckett (0) and Jacob Bethell (6), fresh from their Test commitments against India, fell cheaply.
The Rockets’ New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson was key in the Phoenix struggles, taking 3-20, making life easier for the likes of Root, billed as the match’s star attraction following his own Test heroics.
But there was some irony in the Yorkshire great being bowled for just six by England’s bowling consultant, New Zealand veteran Tim Southee.
Still, Rehan Ahmed (25) and Banton then motored along in a rapid 51-run partnership, before Stoinis later joined the party, crashing Southee over deep midwicket for a 78-metre six, before the 36-year-old Kiwi got him to sky the very next ball into the hands of Dan Mousely.
Stoinis had lasted only five balls, but Max Holden soon finished the job with four boundaries in his unbeaten 22.
With agencies
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