Birmingham Phoenix put themselves back into the top three of The Hundred with an important win at Edgbaston, knocking Trent Rockets out of this year’s competition in the process.
Tim Southee claimed a five-wicket haul, to restrict the Rockets to 118, before Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell helped push Phoenix into the play-off places with a measured chase.
Birmingham Phoenix won the toss and chose to bowl, in what turned out to be a great decision from Moeen Ali, as his pace attack put on an exhibition of swing bowling at the start of the first innings.
The dangerous quartet of Tom Banton, Alex Hales, Joe Root and Rovman Powell were dismissed in the first 30 deliveries, as the Rockets fell to 22-4.
Birmingham Phoenix claim the two big back-to-back wickets of Alex Hales and Joe Root
Tom Alsop – making his debut in The Hundred – and Pakistan international Imad Wasim rebuilt for the visitors with a fifty partnership, before Wasim was retired out on a run-a-ball 29, to be replaced by Chris Green.
The Australian all-rounder returned for Rockets, replacing the injured Rashid Khan, but he was to last just five balls before being removed by Adam Milne, who took a well-deserved wicket.
Alsop reached his half-century, and was then dismissed by the excellent Southee, who finished with 5-12 and momentarily thought he had taken a hat-trick before being denied by an overturned LBW decision.
Watch Tom Alsop hit a half-century on his Trent Rockets debut
Trent Rockets set Phoenix 119 to win and Ben Duckett got the chase off to a flying start with 30 from 16 before Rockets came firing back at them. Luke Wood dismissed Duckett and Jamie Smith in consecutive balls to put the breaks on Birmingham’s fast start.
Moeen Ali and Livingstone steadied the ship for a while before the pacy John Turner (2-17) removed captain Moeen and Dan Mousley.
The away team sensed it was their chance to build the pressure with the ball in the chase and they began to restrict Phoenix’s scoring opportunities, before Luke Wood released the pressure with a no-ball free hit that Bethell deposited into the stands to give the home side some breathing room.
Bethell (38 off 29) and Livingstone (30 off 32) then took Phoenix home with a half-century partnership, as they chased it with seven balls to spare.
With one game left each, the result leaves three teams with a chance of joining Oval Invincibles in the knockout rounds – Phoenix, Southern Brave and Northern Superchargers. Defeat for Trent Rockets means that like London Spirit, Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire, their tournament is over.
Player of the match- Tim Southee
“It was a pretty good performance. I think the bowlers assessed the conditions well and then the way the batters went about it towards the end, Bethell and Livingstone knocked it around and chose great options. So, I think it was a pretty good all-round performance.
“I think we have had really good consistency over the last few games and have got to know each other a bit better. Obviously, Adam Milne and I have played a lot of cricket together, but for everyone else it’s great to have that experience of playing a few games together.
“We adapted to conditions as quickly as possible, which helped us and the surface offered us a little bit which we tried to get as much out of as we could.”
What’s next?
The Hundred continues on Tuesday August 13 with another double-header between Northern Superchargers and London Spirit.
You can watch the women’s match on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Cricket from 2.30pm, first ball at 3pm, and the men’s match on Sky Sports Cricket from 6pm.
Sky Sports+ has officially launched and will be integrated into Sky TV, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
