Clinical Birmingham Phoenix hammer Manchester Originals

Ben Duckett and Joe Clarke were ruthless with the bat after Liam Livingstone's spin had strangled Originals' batters in front of their own fans

ECB Media | 24/08/2025 at 20:38

Old Trafford: Manchester Originals 109-7, Birmingham Phoenix 113-3 - Birmingham Phoenix win by seven wickets

Birmingham Phoenix produced a polished display to thrash Manchester Originals by seven wickets at Emirates Old Trafford and move up to fourth in the table.

Phoenix have struggled for consistency in the tournament, and their defeat to Welsh Fire on Friday evening ended any hope of qualifying for the knockout phase, but a disciplined performance in the field and a clinical partnership of 72 from 45 balls between Ben Duckett (49 not out from 38) and Joe Clarke (40 from 21) delivered a consolation victory.

Set just 110 to win, Will Smeed nicked off to Sonny Baker for 13 but it was plain sailing thereafter, Clarke announcing his arrival with three consecutive boundaries off his Notts teammate Josh Tongue before dispatching Ish Sodhi for a slog-swept six.

^{Originals were well beaten at home (Joe Prior/Getty Images)}

Duckett had been more circumspect but came to the party by taking 14 off Sodhi's second set and the Phoenix wasted no time in racing to their target, Tongue's dismissals of Clarke and Liam Livingstone only delaying the inevitable as victory was secured with 17 balls to spare.

Earlier, the Originals had made a positive start after winning the toss and electing to bat. Phil Salt (31 from 20) hit Adam Milne for a six and a four in the second set, and belted two maximums off Trent Boult in the third, but Liam Patterson-White got the breakthrough when he clean bowled Ben McKinney for two with an arm-ball and the hosts badly lost their way when Salt followed, caught at long-on by Duckett off Jacob Bethell.

Jos Buttler came and went for five, trapped lbw by the excellent Livingstone (2 for 11), and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with Heinrich Klaasen (34 from 35) unable to fully unleash his range of shots on a slow surface that played into the hands of the Phoenix spinners.

The South African was eventually caught in the deep off Chris Wood (2 for 11) in the penultimate set and the Originals could only muster 109-l for 7, ultimately slipping to a fifth defeat in seven, bottom of the table on net run rate, as their formidable batting line-up again failed to fire.