182/6 (19.3)
CR : 9.33
180/8 (20.0)
CR : 9.00
Birmingham Phoenix won by 4 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
L Livingstone
1/969(27)
Over 20
Birmingham Phoenix 182/6
Benny Howell4(1)
Liam Livingstone69(27)
Saqib Mahmood3-28(13 b)
BP won by 4 wickets
1:52 AM IST & 9:22 PM Local Time: That’s a wrap from Edgbaston! A thrilling run chase sees the Birmingham Phoenix hunt down the third-highest run chase in Men’s Hundred history, sealing a memorable 4-wicket victory.
Earlier in the day, the Oval Invincibles won the toss and chose to field first. Their innings got off to a shaky start as openers Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye departed early to Trent Boult’s new-ball burst. Sam Curran looked promising but was dismissed by Adam Milne in the sixth set. Jordan Cox and Sam Billings kept the scoreboard moving, guiding the Invincibles to 70/3 at the halfway stage.
Billings showcased his flair with a reverse-swept six off Liam Livingstone, only for the spinner to dismiss him on the very next ball. Donovan Ferreira arrived with intent, immediately shifting gears despite Cox’s departure to Dan Mousley in the 15th set. Tom Curran fell cheaply, but Ferreira found support from Rashid Khan, who chipped in with a few lusty blows. Ferreira powered to a 24-ball fifty in a penultimate set that yielded 25 runs. He added one more six before finding the fielder at deep mid-wicket, but the damage was already done. The Invincibles eventually finished at 180/8.
Chasing 181, the Phoenix faced an uphill task against a disciplined new-ball attack. Ben Duckett fell early for 7, while Joe Clarke’s brisk 27 ended with a brilliant catch from Rashid Khan. Will Smeed took his time before accelerating to a well-earned fifty, only to be bowled next ball by Nathan Sowter.
With the Phoenix under pressure, skipper Liam Livingstone (69* off 27) stepped in at No. 4 and produced a captain’s knock at Edgbaston. Despite limited support, he turned the game on its head by taking Rashid Khan for 26 runs in a single set. The contest went down to the wire as Saqib Mahmood nailed a couple of yorkers to claim two wickets late on. But Benny Howell, calm under pressure, sealed the deal with a boundary, giving Phoenix their first win of the season by 4 wickets!
Earlier in the day, the Oval Invincibles won the toss and chose to field first. Their innings got off to a shaky start as openers Will Jacks and Tawanda Muyeye departed early to Trent Boult’s new-ball burst. Sam Curran looked promising but was dismissed by Adam Milne in the sixth set. Jordan Cox and Sam Billings kept the scoreboard moving, guiding the Invincibles to 70/3 at the halfway stage.
Billings showcased his flair with a reverse-swept six off Liam Livingstone, only for the spinner to dismiss him on the very next ball. Donovan Ferreira arrived with intent, immediately shifting gears despite Cox’s departure to Dan Mousley in the 15th set. Tom Curran fell cheaply, but Ferreira found support from Rashid Khan, who chipped in with a few lusty blows. Ferreira powered to a 24-ball fifty in a penultimate set that yielded 25 runs. He added one more six before finding the fielder at deep mid-wicket, but the damage was already done. The Invincibles eventually finished at 180/8.
Chasing 181, the Phoenix faced an uphill task against a disciplined new-ball attack. Ben Duckett fell early for 7, while Joe Clarke’s brisk 27 ended with a brilliant catch from Rashid Khan. Will Smeed took his time before accelerating to a well-earned fifty, only to be bowled next ball by Nathan Sowter.
With the Phoenix under pressure, skipper Liam Livingstone (69* off 27) stepped in at No. 4 and produced a captain’s knock at Edgbaston. Despite limited support, he turned the game on its head by taking Rashid Khan for 26 runs in a single set. The contest went down to the wire as Saqib Mahmood nailed a couple of yorkers to claim two wickets late on. But Benny Howell, calm under pressure, sealed the deal with a boundary, giving Phoenix their first win of the season by 4 wickets!
Hero of the Match: Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone (Hero of the Match & Birmingham Phoenix Captain): "Yeah, very special. We needed it. We needed this win to get our first points on the board. We know that they are a special team and have won it two years in a row. So, it was nice to get one over them and hopefully, it gives us some confidence moving forward.
I was trying to get used to the pitch. We wanted to try and take down their spinners as much as we can. I always try to back myself if the bowlers miss their length.
(vs Rashid in that set) I've got a pretty good record just by stepping across and slogging him. It has worked in the past. I can't pick him so just try to do it that way to be honest.
We let ourselves down a bit in the field. That's something we want to work a bit more on. Great win as we got ourselves back into the tournament."
I was trying to get used to the pitch. We wanted to try and take down their spinners as much as we can. I always try to back myself if the bowlers miss their length.
(vs Rashid in that set) I've got a pretty good record just by stepping across and slogging him. It has worked in the past. I can't pick him so just try to do it that way to be honest.
We let ourselves down a bit in the field. That's something we want to work a bit more on. Great win as we got ourselves back into the tournament."
Highest Run-Chases in The Hundred (Men):
201/3 by Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave, The Oval, 2023 (T-197)
193/2 by Trent Rockets vs Manchester Originals, Manchester, 2022 (T-190)
182/6 by Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, Birmingham, 2025, This Match (T-181)*
174/4 by Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, Birmingham, 2021 (T-173)
201/3 by Manchester Originals vs Southern Brave, The Oval, 2023 (T-197)
193/2 by Trent Rockets vs Manchester Originals, Manchester, 2022 (T-190)
182/6 by Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, Birmingham, 2025, This Match (T-181)*
174/4 by Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, Birmingham, 2021 (T-173)
That’s all from the iconic Edgbaston! A high-octane finish sees the Birmingham Phoenix topple the defending champions with a record run chase, winning by 4 wickets. Join us tomorrow for an action-packed double-header.
For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Karthik Raj who, along with scorer/analyst Paras Yadav brought all the actions of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYE👋
For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Karthik Raj who, along with scorer/analyst Paras Yadav brought all the actions of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYE👋