The Brave came into the match knowing that a point would guarantee their presence in Saturday's showdown but at the halfway stage, with 181 posted by the already-eliminated Fire, they would have feared losing control of their destiny.
But after the umpires took the players off with just 16 balls having been bowled of the Brave's innings - a minimum of 25 balls are required to deliver a result - the rain never abated and the game was duly abandoned.
It was a bitter pill for the Fire to swallow. With the bat they were irrepressible, with Luke Wells and Glenn Phillips especially destructive, sharing a 76-run partnership from just 30 balls to propel the Fire to their highest score in the tournament.
Wells registered just his second fifty in the competition while Phillips clubbed five sixes - including one over square-leg against Jofra Archer that sailed 102 metres - to make 48 from just 19 balls.
Brave are through to face either Northern Superchargers or Birmingham Phoenix, with the latter's game against Manchester Originals on Thursday determining the final placings.
Trent Rockets claimed a consolation home win over Oval Invincibles thanks to a spectacular display of hitting from Rovman Powell.
Into the top tier! 🥵— The Hundred (@thehundred) Rovman Powell is going CRAZY! 💪#TheHundred | #RoadToTheEliminator pic.twitter.com/1QSiLCmpdHAugust 14, 2024
Coming to the crease with 95 needed from 52 balls and the Rockets three wickets down, Powell joined Tom Alsop in an 80-run stand to take the Rockets towards the Invincibles' total of 150.
Powell hit four sixes before Sam Curran induced a miscued lofted drive to long-on.
The Jamaican's dismissal left the Rockets needing 15 from 10 balls, but Alsop and Chris Green took the home side to victory with six balls to spare.
Choosing to bat first, Invincibles opener Dawid Malan batted through the innings for an unbeaten 53 (43).
Will Jacks' quickfire 30 came from 17 balls, before Jordan Cox smashed a 30-ball 39 in a 71-run partnership with Malan.
Cox succumbed to Sam Cook (2-23), but Donovan Ferreira's unbeaten 27 from just 10 balls featured three successive sixes and hauled the Invincibles up to 3-150.
Alex Hales (35) misjudged a pull to give Jacks his first wicket, and Joe Root (12) lofted a Nathan Sowter leg-break to long-on to leave Trent 3-56 after 48 balls.
But Powell and Alsop then took charge as the hosts won with six deliveries to spare.
Oval will now await the result of the final group game to discover whether they will contest the Eliminator or go straight through to Sunday's final at Lord's.
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