A devastating bowling performance from the visitors, saw the Phoenix bowled out for 64, with Samantha Bates (3-10), on debut in The Hundred, and Georgia Elwiss (3-13) the chief destroyers, recording combined figures of 6-23 from 40 balls, including 25 dots.
Despite going into the match without England skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt, who will miss the first two matches of the tournament as she manages a calf injury, the Rockets were dominant throughout, knocking off their target with 69 balls to spare.
Lauren Filer bowled Beth Mooney for four with the score on 40, but she couldn’t halt the Rockets’ charge, with Sophia Dunkley racing to 43 not out from 17 balls and Sophie Luff chipping in with three consecutive fours off Alana King.
Asked to bat first by the visitors, Phoenix lost Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey early, the former falling to Kim Garth who bowled the opening 10 balls straight through and conceded just two runs.
Davina Perrin followed soon after, bowled by Elwiss to leave the Phoenix 13-3 after 20 balls and they were soon 14-5 when Bates removed Annerie Dercksen and Jemima Spence in the space of two deliveries.
They lost their sixth wicket one ball later, Kayla Reyneke looking to go big against the leg-spin of Katie Levick only to be spectacularly caught by a diving Bess Heath running in from long-on.
The Aussie pairing of Elysse Perry and King looked to stage a recovery, watchfully moving the score onto 27-6 at the halfway point. But it was short-lived, King edging the 51st delivery of the innings behind to give Garth a second wicket.
Perry then looked to up the ante, striking her international teammate Ash Gardner down the ground for six to move onto 25, but Eva Gray fell trying to repeat the dose against Elwiss, picking out Heath at long-on.
Perry was ultimately the last wicket to fall, becoming Elwiss’ third scalp when she was brilliantly caught in the deep by Emma Jones for 39.
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