Lord’s hosts a second title decider on Sunday, August 16, 2026, when SunRisers Leeds Women face Trent Rockets Women in the final of The Hundred’s women’s competition, kicking off at 2.15pm ahead of the men’s showpiece later that evening. Trent Rockets secured direct qualification by finishing top of the eight-team table after the group phase, while SunRisers Leeds had to survive a tense eliminator against Southern Brave, winning by five wickets at The Kia Oval to book their place in a rematch of sorts against a Rockets side that has been the tournament’s most consistent performer all summer.
Litchfield’s Landmark Season
The individual story of the competition belongs to SunRisers opener Phoebe Litchfield, who finished the group phase as the leading run-scorer with 289 runs from eight innings at an average of 41.28 and a strike rate of 168.02, the best of any recognized batter in the tournament. Litchfield’s tally was enough to push her past 1,000 career runs in The Hundred, making her only the fifth woman to reach that landmark in the competition’s history, according to figures compiled by ESPNcricinfo. Her SunRisers teammate Annabel Sutherland was not far behind with 273 runs, giving the Leeds franchise the tournament’s two most productive top-order batters heading into the final.
Trent Rockets’ Table-Topping Consistency
Where SunRisers relied on individual brilliance to close out matches, Trent Rockets built their campaign on collective depth. Sophia Dunkley finished third overall with 260 runs at a strike rate of 162.5, while Nat Sciver-Brunt’s all-round contributions with bat and ball gave Rockets the tournament’s most balanced top four. That depth was enough to see them through the group stage undefeated in their final block of matches, sealing top spot and a direct route to Lord’s without having to negotiate the pressure of a knockout eliminator that SunRisers were forced to win under lights just two days before the final.
Two Contrasting Routes to the Same Stage
The contrast between the finalists’ paths has become a talking point in its own right. Some pundits argue Trent Rockets’ week-long gap since their last competitive fixture could blunt their sharpness against a SunRisers side still riding the adrenaline of Friday’s eliminator win, in which Leeds successfully chased down a target that at one stage looked to be drifting away from them. Others counter that Rockets’ extra rest allows key bowlers, including Sciver-Brunt, to arrive fresher for the format’s decisive match, and that a settled, in-form top order should outweigh short-term momentum built in a single knockout game.
A Growth Story for Women’s Domestic Cricket
Beyond Sunday’s result, the broader significance of the fixture lies in what it represents for English women’s domestic cricket. The Hundred’s women’s competition has steadily closed the attendance and broadcast gap with the men’s tournament since its 2021 launch, with the ECB citing rising ticket sales for the Lord’s double-header as evidence that standalone women’s fixtures can draw crowds on their own merits rather than solely as a support act to the men’s game. Litchfield’s landmark season, alongside strong campaigns from India international Shafali Verma and others across the eight franchises, has been pointed to by administrators as proof that the competition is developing genuine box-office players rather than simply importing established international stars for a short window.
What’s Next After Lord’s
Whatever the outcome, both finalists will lose players almost immediately to national duty, with several featuring in white-ball assignments and preparation for the next global ICC women’s event on the horizon. A SunRisers win would mark a first Hundred women’s title built around Litchfield and Sutherland’s batting, a result likely to strengthen calls for both to be retained as marquee picks in the next player draft. A Trent Rockets triumph, by contrast, would reward a squad-first approach and could push other franchises to prioritize depth over star power when they reassess their rosters ahead of the 2027 season. Either way, Sunday’s final looks set to be decided by which team’s method — individual brilliance or collective balance — holds up best under the unique pressure of a 100-ball shootout at cricket’s most famous ground.