Matthew Wade and Ravi Bopara starred with bat as action came down to final ball to end a fabulous day's cricket at Lord's; Spirit will compete in The Eliminator game despite defeat; Phoenix require a tie in tomorrow's clash between Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles to progress
Tuesday 30 August 2022 22:46, UK
Matthew Wade hit a superb 81 runs as Birmingham Phoenix claimed an incredible last-ball victory over London Spirit in The Hundred at Lord's.
Matthew Wade was the anchor in what was a dramatic chase, as Phoenix saw openers Will Smeed and Sol Budinger dismissed for just a single run between them after being set a target of 140 to chase down.
Wade then came in and managed 81 runs off 42 balls, including 13 boundaries before captain Moeen Ali was dismissed for 11.
In the first innings, Ravi Bopara displayed his artistry with a stunning knock of 45 off just 20 balls – with a quarter of those going for six – and it was he who took the catch which ended Wade's innings.
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At that point, the match could have gone either way but Phoenix bravely chased down the total, consistently finding the runs they needed at just the right time, and were left needing two runs from the final ball to win, while a single would've seen the match end as a tie.
At that point, Brad Wheal picked the worst possible moment to bowl a wide and then Tanveer Sangha took advantage, striking for the single which gave the Phoenix a dramatic final-ball victory.
The win means Birmingham Phoenix move into the final play-off place, but their net run rate means it will require the highly unlikely event of a tie between Manchester Originals and Oval Invincibles tomorrow.
London Spirit on the other hand, have already secured a place in The Eliminator game and finish the group section with five wins and three defeats.
Birmingham Phoenix's Matthew Wade said: "It was an interesting game, obviously, we were going out to chase the score in the 72 or 73 balls that we needed and things didn't go to plan at the start so at the halfway, we kind of reeled it back and just tried to go for the win in the end and so it's nice to be on the winning end of one again and we do a run down tomorrow and see how it goes.
"We bowled really, really well obviously, Ravi (Bopara) came in and took his shot with the short boundary and hit some really nice balls, so at the halfway, it was chase the score in the 72 balls and 73 balls that we needed in and when you lose early wickets, it kind of got a little bit harder there towards the end. My plan was to target the shorter boundary.
"That little bit shorter [type] of a game has been something that I've really, really enjoyed and something that I think all countries can kind of look at if they're trying to change. I think just to strip it back to the 100 balls, it feels more like a T-20 game just a little bit faster, which is everything that the players want. I think we just need to wait and hope, as I said that the rain might come tomorrow or draw."
London Spirit skipper Eoin Morgan said: Absolutely was obviously a lot of dynamics within the game. Both sides looking to win outright but probably more importantly, Birmingham looking to chase it down, I think was 75 or 76 balls if our maths was right. But what a great spectacle, I thought Matthew Wade played brilliantly. Nobody apart from [him and] Ravi Bopara really struck the ball on that wicket all night, goes to show the class of the two international cricketers, it was was exceptional.
"The atmosphere here was very similar to an international game. We played a very first game at The Oval that went down to the wire as well, that was also an international atmosphere. So it's great to see that sort of platform being created on a domestic stage.
"We've already played in a couple of tight games in group stages. We've won those games, the other games that we've lost we have actually not played well on the day. I prefer to win games like that, you actually learn more about your team during circumstances like that or today."
The action heats up in The Hundred as the competition races towards the play-off stages. The final places are up for grabs on Wednesday with a double-header of action live on Sky Sports at Headingley and Old Trafford.
First up, we're live at 11am on Sky Sports The Hundred, Mix & Main Event from Headingley as the Southern Brave take their 100 per cent record to the Northern Superchargers, who know they can still snatch a place in the latter stages but it will take a big swing in net run rate. The men are then up next from 2.30pm, with both teams sitting with three wins and four defeats heading into their final clash.
Over at Old Trafford, the action gets underway with the women from 2.30pm on Sky Sports Mix, as the Manchester Originals aim to fight their way into the play-off places, facing the Oval Invincibles who are already through with four wins and just one defeat so far.
On the men's side, it's a superb winner-takes-all clash as the Originals and Invincibles both know a win will take them through to The Eliminator game. Coverage begins from 6pm on Sky Sports Cricket, Mix & Main Event.
Watch every match from The Hundred this summer live on Sky Sports.
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