166/3 (16.2)
CR : 10.16
162/4 (20.0)
CR : 8.10
London Spirit won by 7 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
L Livingstone
0/2766(30)
1:08 AM IST, 8:38 PM LOCAL TIME: Pressure is temporary, but momentum can change everything, and London Spirit turned a tricky chase into a statement at Lord’s. Could Birmingham Phoenix defend 162 after their early wickets? They had a chance. Could Spirit chase it? They did it with a flourish. London Spirit reached 166/3 in just 82 balls, winning by seven wickets with 18 balls remaining. Phoenix had started brilliantly with the ball. Then Livingstone and Brevis simply pressed the fast-forward button. One side found a partnership. The other found no answer.
Highest Successful Run-Chase vs Birmingham Phoenix in Men’s Hundred:
166/3 – London Spirit, Lord's, 2026 (T-163), Tonight*
152/6 – Southern Brave, Southampton, 2021 (T-152)
147/4 – Trent Rockets, Nottingham, 2022 (T-144)
166/3 – London Spirit, Lord's, 2026 (T-163), Tonight*
152/6 – Southern Brave, Southampton, 2021 (T-152)
147/4 – Trent Rockets, Nottingham, 2022 (T-144)
Highest Successful Run-Chase at Lord’s in Men’s Hundred:
166/3 – London Spirit vs Birmingham Phoenix, 2026 (T-163), Tonight*
164/6 – MI London vs London Spirit, 2026 (T-161)
140/9 – Birmingham Phoenix vs London Spirit, 2022 (T-140)
166/3 – London Spirit vs Birmingham Phoenix, 2026 (T-163), Tonight*
164/6 – MI London vs London Spirit, 2026 (T-161)
140/9 – Birmingham Phoenix vs London Spirit, 2022 (T-140)
Highest Partnerships for Any Wicket for London Spirit in Men’s Hundred:
103 – Dewald Brevis & Liam Livingstone vs Birmingham Phoenix, Lord’s, 2026 (3rd Wicket), Tonight*
96 – Shimron Hetmyer & Keaton Jennings vs Manchester Super Giants, Lord’s, 2024 (4th Wicket)
94 – Zak Crawley & Adam Rossington vs MI London, The Oval, 2023 (1st Wicket)
103 – Dewald Brevis & Liam Livingstone vs Birmingham Phoenix, Lord’s, 2026 (3rd Wicket), Tonight*
96 – Shimron Hetmyer & Keaton Jennings vs Manchester Super Giants, Lord’s, 2024 (4th Wicket)
94 – Zak Crawley & Adam Rossington vs MI London, The Oval, 2023 (1st Wicket)
Player of the Match: Liam Livingstone
Liam Livingstone (POTM & London Spirit Captain): "[Chat at the halfway stage] Yeah, we felt like it was a decent wicket. We felt like they were under par, we went for a few more than what we would have liked but I thought we bowled with the new ball. Then boys have been good with in powerplay, I think they were 40 off 40 balls and we were ahead of the game. So, yeah. Certainly batting on that wicket was well below par.
[Was it part of the plan to take the game on in powerplay] No, it is something we have been talking about. Trying to get ahead of the game in the powerplay and put the pressure on the opposition with just two fielders out. Yeah, thankfully. It went well today.
[On his partnership with Dewald Brevis] I love batting with Brev. He hits the ball as cleanly as anyone in world cricket. So, yeah, it is quite nice to watch him go from the non-striker's end.
[On the crowd] Yeah, the crowd has been amazing. I have loved my time this year. Different franchise for me this year. The support has been amazing and I think tonight probably was the smallest crowd, and it was almost a full house. Hopefully, we have done our best to entertain them.
[Was it part of the plan to take the game on in powerplay] No, it is something we have been talking about. Trying to get ahead of the game in the powerplay and put the pressure on the opposition with just two fielders out. Yeah, thankfully. It went well today.
[On his partnership with Dewald Brevis] I love batting with Brev. He hits the ball as cleanly as anyone in world cricket. So, yeah, it is quite nice to watch him go from the non-striker's end.
[On the crowd] Yeah, the crowd has been amazing. I have loved my time this year. Different franchise for me this year. The support has been amazing and I think tonight probably was the smallest crowd, and it was almost a full house. Hopefully, we have done our best to entertain them.
Dewald Brevis (London Spirit): "[On his knock] Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I am extremely grateful to just be out there. It was really enjoyable batting with Livingstone. The 100-run stand was a special one.
[What got him going today?] I actually would say I really enjoyed the first six. It was nice to hit it over. I have been looking for that. It just happened for me today. I did not force it. Sometimes we tend to force it too much in any format. I was just reacting to the ball.
[On the aggressive brand of cricket played today] It is definitely a brand. We want to be aggressive and play with that intent. It was great to see from ball 1 with Lhuan-dre and Jonny. It had an effect on all of us.
[On the wicket] I definitely think it was a much better wicket than the other games. As a team, we want to make it our home fortress regardless of the wicket. We have to be a bit gutsy. Some of the seam balls held a bit in the wicket, but generally it was a good one. The spin in today's play was a bit tougher than the seam.
[Was he surprised that Usman Tariq was re-introduced very late?] Yeah, I was. Obviously, he is someone who brings a lot of mystery in his bowling. For a lot of guys, it is different the way he pauses in his action. You have to react to it differently. I would have bowled him a bit earlier. It is hard to say though in hindsight.
[On his 98 m maximum over deep midwicket] It was just nice. I was looking at Liam. He was looking at the ball. I was like please let it go over the roof. The feeling I felt in the hand and in the bat was amazing.
[Is there pressure in the camp?] There is a tiny bit of pressure like it always is. All of us know what we wanted from this competition. Me and Coles were chatting after the game that the tournament is getting over too quickly. If you find rhythm now, it is too late. In the IPL there are a lot more games, so you can peak at the end. Over here, you have to be on it from the first game and win those fine moments.
[On James Coles and his big price tag] He is a strong person. He has done great for us in parts throughout the competition. It is almost like if you have that big price tag, you just want to do more and more. He is a great player, a great guy and we all enjoy his company a lot. He has a big future ahead of him.
[What are his learning from the tournament?] The main thing is that when you are at your best, you become yourself. You just watch the ball and react easily. Otherwise, there are expectations and you take in too much information to just get those runs. You just start thinking too much and, in my case, I start becoming less attacking."
[What got him going today?] I actually would say I really enjoyed the first six. It was nice to hit it over. I have been looking for that. It just happened for me today. I did not force it. Sometimes we tend to force it too much in any format. I was just reacting to the ball.
[On the aggressive brand of cricket played today] It is definitely a brand. We want to be aggressive and play with that intent. It was great to see from ball 1 with Lhuan-dre and Jonny. It had an effect on all of us.
[On the wicket] I definitely think it was a much better wicket than the other games. As a team, we want to make it our home fortress regardless of the wicket. We have to be a bit gutsy. Some of the seam balls held a bit in the wicket, but generally it was a good one. The spin in today's play was a bit tougher than the seam.
[Was he surprised that Usman Tariq was re-introduced very late?] Yeah, I was. Obviously, he is someone who brings a lot of mystery in his bowling. For a lot of guys, it is different the way he pauses in his action. You have to react to it differently. I would have bowled him a bit earlier. It is hard to say though in hindsight.
[On his 98 m maximum over deep midwicket] It was just nice. I was looking at Liam. He was looking at the ball. I was like please let it go over the roof. The feeling I felt in the hand and in the bat was amazing.
[Is there pressure in the camp?] There is a tiny bit of pressure like it always is. All of us know what we wanted from this competition. Me and Coles were chatting after the game that the tournament is getting over too quickly. If you find rhythm now, it is too late. In the IPL there are a lot more games, so you can peak at the end. Over here, you have to be on it from the first game and win those fine moments.
[On James Coles and his big price tag] He is a strong person. He has done great for us in parts throughout the competition. It is almost like if you have that big price tag, you just want to do more and more. He is a great player, a great guy and we all enjoy his company a lot. He has a big future ahead of him.
[What are his learning from the tournament?] The main thing is that when you are at your best, you become yourself. You just watch the ball and react easily. Otherwise, there are expectations and you take in too much information to just get those runs. You just start thinking too much and, in my case, I start becoming less attacking."
So, who controlled the match? Phoenix had the first half. Spirit owned the second. Birmingham's 46/3 looked like a potential disaster, but Clarke and Dickson transformed it into 162/4. Yet even that total proved too small. Spirit's opening Powerplay produced 48 runs, and their 100 came in only 49 balls. That tells the whole story. Phoenix needed wickets. Instead, they watched the scoreboard race. Livingstone and Brevis did not merely chase the target. They chased it aggressively. And quickly.
And that is a wrap from the Home of Cricket! Birmingham Phoenix fought back, but London Spirit answered stunningly. One partnership rescued an innings. Another decided the match. Seven wickets. Eighteen balls to spare. The Phoenix had the firepower. The Spirit simply burned brighter.
Until then, I am Dev Rajawat, signing off, along with my co-commentators, Ajay Pal Singh, Manan Mehta, scorer Manish Bishnoi, and statistician Aman. That’s it from our side. Thanks for joining. Goodbye from this tab! TAKE CARE! BREATHE AND SMILE! CIAO!!!