Birmingham Phoenix Defeated by 120 for 4 (Bethell 38*, Livingstone 30*, Duckett 30) Trend Rockets 118 (51 more, Southee 5-12)
Birmingham Phoenix pushed themselves back into the knockout stages at the Hundred with a crucial win at Edgbaston, knocking the Trent Rockets out of this year’s competition in the process.
„It was a good performance,” Southee said. „I think the bowlers judged the conditions very well and then the way the batsmen went at it at the end, Bethel and Livingstone knocked it and picked the best options. So, I think it was a good all-round performance.
„We’ve been very consistent in the last few games and I think we know each other well. Obviously, Adam Milne and I have played a lot of cricket together, but it’s nice for everyone else to have that experience. Playing a few games together.
„We adapted to the conditions as quickly as possible, which helped us tonight and the surface gave us a little bit, which we tried to get as much as we could.”
Phoenix won the toss and elected to bowl, which proved to be Moeen Ali’s best decision as his pace attack brought out the swing and seam bowling early in the first innings. The dangerous back four of Tom Panton, Alex Hales, Joe Root and Rowman Powell were dismissed in the first 30 balls as the Rockets slumped to 22 for 4.
Alsop reached his half-century and then finished with 5 for 12 and briefly thought he would take a hat-trick with a reverse lbw finish.
The away side sensed this was their chance to build pressure with the ball on the chase and they began to stifle Phoenix scoring chances, before Luke Wood released the pressure with a no-ball free-hit that deposited Bethel in the stands. Some breathing room at home.
Bethel (29 off 38*) and Livingstone (30* off 32) then took home the chasing Phoenix half-century with 7 balls to spare.
With one game each remaining, the result gives three teams a chance to join the Oval Invincibles in the knockout rounds – Phoenix, Southern Brave and Northern Superchargers. Defeat for Trent Rocket means that the likes of London Spirit, Manchester Originals and Welsh Fire are over.
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