Birmingham Phoenix Secure Spot in The Hundred Eliminator with Dominant Win Over Manchester Originals
Birmingham Phoenix have booked their place in The Hundred Eliminator, where they will face Southern Brave at The Kia Oval on Saturday, following a decisive nine-wicket victory over Manchester Originals in a rain-shortened match at Edgbaston.
In a game reduced to just 30 balls per side due to rain, Moeen Ali’s Phoenix side comfortably chased down a modest target of 42 runs, ensuring their progress in the tournament. The match, crucial for Phoenix’s chances, saw them quickly achieve the necessary point to move ahead in the competition.
The Originals, who won the toss and opted to bat, struggled to gain momentum. Kiwi fast bowler Adam Milne led the charge for Phoenix, claiming two wickets for just eight runs. Milne struck early, dismissing Matthew Hurst with the second legal delivery of the match, caught by Liam Livingstone at mid-on.
Tim Southee, another New Zealand pacer, faced resistance from Phil Salt, who launched him into the stands. However, Salt’s attempt to accelerate was cut short as he mistimed a shot off Milne, once again giving Livingstone a catch. The Originals found themselves struggling at 22 for 2 at the halfway point.
Sean Abbott further compounded the Originals’ woes by dismissing Paul Walter for just 1, while Max Holden, who managed 15 runs, was caught by Livingstone for his third catch of the evening. The innings concluded with the Originals posting a mere 41 for 5, with Chris Wood taking the final wicket of Sikandar Raza.
Chasing 42, Phoenix made quick work of the target. Jamie Smith set the tone early, hitting Fazalhaq Farooqi for two sixes in the first five balls. Although Farooqi tightened up in the following set, Ben Duckett quickly took control, smashing Tom Aspinwall for a six and sending three more balls to the boundary.
Despite the rain, which persisted throughout the match, the umpires kept play going, and Phoenix stayed on course. Smith was eventually caught on the cover boundary by Raza off Scott Currie, but Duckett, with an unbeaten 22, and Moeen Ali, who added 6*, wrapped up the chase with eight balls to spare, with Moeen finishing the match in style by hitting Currie for a six over fine-leg.
Reflecting on the match, Milne, who was named the Meerkat Match Hero, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance in the shortened format. “To come out of the shortened game and into The Hundred Eliminator is very good for us,” he said. Milne also noted the rare opportunity to exploit swing and seam in the shorter format, which proved advantageous for the bowlers.
With this victory, Birmingham Phoenix now look forward to their showdown with Southern Brave, while Manchester Originals exit the tournament after a challenging season.
