The Hundred play-off scenarios: Five men's teams in contention, Brave and Invincibles eye women's final
The race for qualification is hotting up going into the final round of group games
Sam Curran, Will Jacks keep Oval Invincibles' qualification hopes alive
Mady Villiers four-for, London Spirit rumbled for 80 as Invincibles qualify
Sophie Ecclestone stars with bat and ball as Manchester Originals keep play-off hopes alive
Hartley takes four as Originals hammer Phoenix to close in on knockout spot
Men's tournament
Match 29, Trent Rockets (Wins 5) vs Welsh Fire (Wins 0):
Trent Rockets have the best chance to strengthen their case for direct qualification to the final, alongside sealing their berth in the play-offs. They face Welsh Fire in their last league game, a team that has lost all seven matches. A win in this fixture will make Rockets the first team to qualify for the play-offs this season, but their place in the final depends on net run rate (NRR). Rockets are about five runs ahead of London Spirit's NRR, the only other team who can finish on 12 points.
A 79-run defeat against Manchester Originals has left Birmingham Phoenix on the brink of elimination. However, they still have an outside chance of making it to the play-offs. They will need a big win in their last league match against London Spirit - by 42 runs or 28 balls to spare approximately. Any win margin less than that would end their road in the tournament unless Rockets lose by more than 48 runs to Welsh Fire on Monday, which would be an unlikely result.
The final league game of the season between Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles will be a virtual play-off to finish in the top three. The winning team gets closer to the title, while the losing team gets knocked out. If Rockets and Spirit lose their respective final league matches, the winning team among Originals and Invincibles will likely qualify directly for the final based on their better NRR.
Women's tournament
Southern Brave or Oval Invincibles - Battle for top spot:
Southern Brave, despite winning all the five matches they played, not yet assured of a direct route to the final. A win over Northern Superchargers in their last game would guarantee top spot, but they can achieve this despite a loss if second-placed Oval Invincibles do not win big in their final league match against Manchester Originals. If Brave lose to Superchargers by ten runs (in a 125-run chase), Invincibles should not win by more than 11 runs or six balls (in the case of a first-innings total of 125).
Birmingham Phoenix were a win away from securing their top three finish, but an 18-run loss against Manchester Originals on Sunday left the table open. They now face threats from Trent Rockets, Originals and Superchargers, all tied on four points.
Trent Rockets are more likely to finish in the top three than Originals and Superchargers, due to their better NRR. However, all three teams would need Phoenix to lose against Spirit on Tuesday. The margin of Phoenix's defeat will not matter for Rockets if they get the better of Welsh Fire by 12 runs or ten balls. But Originals and Superchargers will need big wins for qualification as they are currently 33 and 42 runs behind the Phoenix's NRR.
Sampath Bandarupalli is a statistician at ESPNcricinfo