MI London entered the final men’s group match with their hopes of securing a fourth straight Hundred title hanging by a thread, even though they managed a narrow triumph over the league's bottom‑placed side, Birmingham Phoenix. The atmosphere at Edgbaston was electric, with spectators witnessing a rare solar eclipse as the two teams faced off. From the outset, MI London knew that a simple win would not be enough; they needed to post a margin of at least 59 runs to overtake SunRisers Leeds for third place and earn a spot in the play‑offs on their home ground.
Phoenix won the toss and elected to field, putting the onus on MI London to set a formidable total. The London side responded with a brisk 157‑6, a score that would have been sufficient if their bowlers could keep Phoenix under 98 runs. Early in the innings, MI London’s bowlers made an immediate impact, claiming three wickets in the powerplay. Sikandar Raza produced a stunning spell, clean‑bowling Joe Clarke, while Richard Gleeson followed with consecutive dismissals of Mitchell Owen and Laurie Evans, cementing his status as the competition’s leading wicket‑taker with 14 victims.
These breakthroughs gave London a glimmer of hope that they might defend their modest total. However, Phoenix’s lower order steadied the ship. A resilient partnership between Jake Weatherley and Sean Dickson added crucial runs, and a wayward delivery from Tom Curran – a wide that slipped past the keeper – pushed Phoenix’s total to 99.
That single run was enough to snatch the win from MI London’s grasp, ending their slim chances of progressing. In the batting chase, Dickson (23 off 17 balls) fell lbw to Sam Curran, who then trapped Weatherley (42 off 31) in the deep.
The hosts seemed to lose momentum, but quickfire contributions from Jordan Thompson (23 off 13) and Rehan Ahmed (23 off 11) brought them back within touching distance. The climax arrived when veteran pacer Trent Boult held his nerve, delivering a series of pinpoint yorkers that secured a two‑run victory for Phoenix.
Earlier in the innings, MI London’s top order showed promise. Will Jacks got off to a solid start before being caught by Chris Wood after a mistimed slice to deep point.
James Vince appeared in good touch, and Nicholas Pooran announced his arrival with a blistering 10‑run burst off two deliveries, dispatching Tom Helm. Yet Helm returned the favour, bowling Vince (22 off 12) with a deceptive back‑of‑the‑hand slower ball. Rehan Ahmed then applied the brakes, outwitting Sam Curran with a well‑timed googly and conceding only three runs in his first ten deliveries, including six consecutive dot balls.
The match also featured a flurry of key wickets. Thompson removed Pooran (36 off 21) when the Trinidadian was caught at long‑off.
Jason Roy (26 off 21) soon followed as Rehan’s second victim. Despite posting impressive figures of 2‑7 from 15 balls, the leg‑spinner was not given the opportunity to complete his full quota of overs.
Supporting cameo performances came from Raza (17 off 13), debutant Ollie Sykes (23 not out off 14) and Tom Curran (17 not out off 9). Nonetheless, MI London’s total never looked sufficient to pull off the miracle they needed.
With the defending champions eliminated, SunRisers Leeds now face Manchester Super Giants at The Kia Oval on Friday evening, with a place in the Lord’s final against Trent Rockets at stake. Gleeson summed up the disappointment: "To win five games and not qualify when two teams have done the same as us is disappointing, but that shows the strength of the competition and you've got to be on top of your game all the way through – 30, 40, 50 runs can make a big difference." The ripple effect of MI London’s exit was felt across the tournament. Both Welsh Fire and London Spirit’s men found themselves in a similar bind to their female counterparts – unable to qualify for the eliminator at The Oval, let alone the Sunday final at Lord’s. Fire’s path to qualification remained theoretically possible but would have required a record‑breaking victory margin, given that their four wins had all been narrow and their losses heavy.
Despite the mathematical odds, the Cardiff crowd enjoyed a spirited display from the Spirit, who defended 131 to claim their third win of the campaign. After winning the toss, Fire elected to bowl, a decision that paid dividends early on. Chris Woakes displayed his enduring class, containing the powerful opening pair of Jonny Bairstow and Lhuandre Pretorius, while Lockie Ferguson capitalised on the pressure, picking up the South African after a dropped catch.
Fire’s powerplay yielded 34‑1, with Bairstow striking 22 off 11 before being dismissed for 34 off 19 by Woakes. Twenty‑five balls later the score read 59‑3, with Marco Jansen delivering ten dot balls in his first fifteen, further tightening the grip on the opposition. London Spirit’s leading run‑scorers, Liam Livingstone (233 runs) and Dewald Brevis (212 runs), fell cheaply, and James Coles managed only 29 before a spectacular catch by the towering Jansen at long‑off was completed by Tom Kohler‑Cadmore. Jamie Overton’s long‑handle delivery could not prevent a modest 131‑8 total, as both Woakes and Jansen bowled under a run per ball.
When Fire batted, they lost Matt Short immediately, but Phil Salt and Joe Root steadied the innings, suggesting that a modest target could be chased without much drama. At 90‑2 off 69 balls, with Jordan Cox flexing his muscles, the chase seemed under control.
However, the momentum shifted when Root (31 off 31) and Cox (44 off 28) were dismissed, and a flurry of wickets – Kohler‑Cadmore, Ravindra and Jansen – fell in the final eight balls, leaving Fire just one run short of victory. They eventually lost by six runs. The tournament will continue to the finals on Sunday, 16 August, with live coverage available on Sky Sports and streaming on NOW.
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