The Hundred 2024: Southern Brave men go top with convincing win over Birmingham Phoenix

James Vince's unbeaten 90 and Akeal Hosein's 3 for 23 inspired Southern Brave to a convincing win over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston

ECB Media | 03/08/2024 at 18:03

Edgbaston: Southern Brave 169-2, Birmingham Phoenix 137-9 - Brave won by 32 runs

Southern Brave triumphed over the Birmingham Phoenix by 32 runs to go top of the table in The Hundred men's competition.

Both sides went into this match with two wins from three but it was the visitors who came out on top at Edgbaston.

Brave posted 169-2, the second highest score of the season to date and that ended up being plenty to win the match, despite an electric innings from the Phoenix's Ben Duckett, who scored more than two thirds of his side's runs.

After Phoenix captain Moeen Ali had won the toss and opted to bowl, James Vince and Alex Davies got the visitors off to a solid start, posting 31 off the Powerplay, and then putting the hammer down to get to 81 off 45 balls after one Sean Abbott set of five went for 22.

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^{Chris Jordan and Tymal Mills both played their part in a professional Southern Brave bowling performance (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

Davies was caught by Jacob Bethell off Benny Howell and Leus du Plooy could only muster 9 from 9 before he was also caught by Bethell but from then on Vince and West Indian man mountain Kieron Pollard set about the bowling, with Vince scoring this season's highest score (until Duckett went past it later) of 90 from 47 balls with six fours and six sixes, and Pollard crashing 38 from 22.

None of the bowlers escaped punishment, Moeen Ali's 10 from 10 was the most economical return.

In reply, it looked like Duckett had designs on winning the game on his own, racing to a 21-ball half-century as Phoenix reached 92-1 from 49 balls and the game was in the balance.

But ignited by a tight Chris Jordan set which accounted for Liam Livingstone, Brave took five wickets for five runs in 18 balls to effectively seal the match, their stellar attack of Jordan, Craig Overton, Jofra Archer, Akeal Hosein, and Tymal Mills proving just too good.

While Duckett hit eight fours and five sixes, the rest of the side hit just four fours between them.

Meerkat Match Hero James Vince said: "It was a nice pitch, particularly up front. Their bowlers bowled well at the back end and it was tricky to get the ball away at the death. Chris Jordan was fantastic, and once we got into a rhythm, we squeezed them really well.

"It's a fantastic group of players and people are performing at the right times."

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