Oval Invincibles 155 for 6 (de Klerk 51*) beat Trent Rockets 152 for 8 (Lee 61) by three runs

The South African all-rounder hit 51 not out from 25 balls to rescue the Invincibles’ innings and led them to 155 for 6 at The Kia Oval.

The Rockets struck with the second ball of the innings when Stonehouse found some movement to bowl Lauren Winfield-Hill for a duck.

Stonehouse then bowled Invincibles stand-in captain Suzie Bates in her second set before Alice Capsey got on top of the bowling, hitting Bryony Smith over long-on for six.

But Kirstie Gordon was able to peg the home side back having Marizanne Kapp stumped before Capsey departed for 35 off 24 after missing a sweep at the left-arm spinner.

Paige Scholfield and De Klerk began a rebuilding job as they struck a partnership of 23 from 15, which was ended when the former was bowled aiming an ambitious shot off Naomi Dattani.

But De Klerk accelerated the Invincibles’ score by hitting three consecutive fours as Stonehouse’s final set of five went for 27 and the partnership of 68 from 31 with Cordelia Griffith lifted the home side above 150.

The Rockets got off to a good start as Lee struck a couple of boundaries off Kapp’s first set but the Invincibles seamer made the breakthrough by having Smith caught by Bates at long off.

Eva Gray took the key wicket of Harmanpreet Kaur with her second ball, but Lee attacked the bowling aggressively. The Rockets opener raced to her half-century off 28 balls slamming Ryana McDonald-Gay over midwicket for her third six and shared a partnership of 63 from 37 with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt.

That raised hopes for the visitors of reaching the target, but Sciver-Brunt was lbw to Sophia Smale and two balls later Scholfield’s throw on the turn ran out Lee with a direct hit at the bowler’s end.

Scholfield was able to follow up with a nonchalant return catch to dismiss Joanne Gardner. Then Smale picked up another wicket as she finished with 2 for 26 and although Stonehouse struck three boundaries in a row in a nervy finish, the Rockets came up three runs short.