Trent Rockets 152 for 6 (Munro 66*, Willey 2-15) beat Welsh Fire 148 for 6 (Clarke 54, Sams 2-35) by four runs
This was billed as Trent Rockets international top order batting against the equally international class of the Welsh Fire bowling attack, and the home side opted to bowl first to unleash that threat.
It went the way of the bowlers early on, England’s David Willey dismissing both openers. Alex Hales got a thin edge through to wicketkeeper Clarke, who took a fine diving catch, while Dawid Malan was out lbw trying to guide the ball down to fine leg, a review showing it would have clipped leg stump.
Joe Root started in typically busy fashion and also unfurled the ramp shot he has used so often this summer, but it was to get him out from a Jake Ball slower ball as the lack of pace saw the ball just spoon up to Clarke.
When van der Merwe got his first ball to turn and dismiss Tom Kohler-Cadmore, playing down the wrong line, the Rockets were in serious trouble at 40 for 4 after 41 balls.
Samit Patel hit van der Merwe for a 94-metre six, but then perished next ball trying to repeat the shot, this time top edging into the covers to be caught by Stephen Eskinazi.
Munro should have been run out after a brilliant piece of boundary fielding by Harris Rauf, but Shaheen Shah Afridi tried to throw the stumps down when a simple throw through to keeper Clarke would have been enough.
Munro then hit van der Merwe for two big sixes, with another six off Rauf taking him to his half-century off 27 balls. Despite that Pakistan ace Rauf conceded only 19 off his 20 balls, while Munro finished on 66 off 35 as he steered his side to a competitive total.
Stephen Eskinazi was dropped by Daniel Sams off Turner on 5, however the bowler was not to be denied when he hit the off stump of Jonny Bairstow, the England man’s second low score in a row since returning for Welsh Fire as he departed for 3.
Fire fell behind the required rate early on, struggling particularly against the swing of Luke Wood. The acceleration needed to come, but Eskinazi perished trying to hit Sams over the top, caught by Joe Root coming in from long-on.
Luke Wells was dropped by Munro at deep square off Lewis Gregory on 3, but departed for 8 after Sams made no mistake on another skied effort off Ish Sodhi.
Clarke and Tom Abell did not find things easy, but managed to keep the scoreboard ticking over without ever getting ahead of the rate, with Fire needing 34 from the final 15 balls. The first five of those went for no runs, with Abell run out and Clarke given out off the fifth. However it turned out to be a no-ball and a free hit, which Clarke hit for six to keep Fire alive needing 26 off the final 10.
Glen Phillips hit 12 of those off Sams before being caught at long-off, leaving Clarke and David Willey 14 to get from the final set. But Rockets, and Turner, held their nerve.
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