Oval Invincibles Defeat Birmingham Phoenix

Oval Invincibles began their defence of The Hundred men’s competition with a commanding eight-wicket victory over Birmingham Phoenix. The Phoenix struggled early, collapsing to 10-4 within the first 17 balls due to poor shot selection. Saqib Mahmood and Mohammad Amir each took two wickets during this period. Rishi Patel (25), Benny Howell (24) and Jacob Bethell (22) tried to rebuild the innings but Phoenix could only manage 89 runs. They left 19 balls unused. Spinner Adam Zampa stood out for the Invincibles, claiming 3-11.

In response, Tawanda Muyeye’s quick 24 gave the Invincibles a strong start but Tim Southee dismissed both him and Will Jacks, finishing with 2-20. Phoenix could not make any further breakthroughs. Invincibles captain Sam Billings (31) and opener Dawid Malan (24) guided their team to an easy win. This victory marked the Invincibles’ first win over Phoenix in The Hundred, breaking a streak of three consecutive defeats. Notably, England batters Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone scored just one and zero respectively, contributing to Phoenix’s early collapse.

Mahmood (2-25) and Amir (2-7) delivered early blows for the Invincibles. Despite a quiet night with the ball, Sam Curran made a stunning catch to dismiss Livingstone. Phoenix’s total of 89 was the fifth lowest in The Hundred men’s competition. This performance adds to their record of poor scores including the lowest score of 75 against Manchester Originals in 2022. Oval Invincibles captain Sam Billings acknowledged some nerves but felt pleased with the team’s solid start to the tournament.

Phoenix skipper Moeen Ali admitted his team didn’t score enough runs, highlighting the wicket’s difficulty and the aggressive but risky approach of his players. Player of the match Adam Zampa expressed his enjoyment bowling at The Oval, one of his favorite stadiums. The Hundred continues with a doubleheader on Wednesday. Southern Brave will face London Spirit at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton and Jofra Archer will make his debut for Southern Brave.