MI London entered the final men’s group fixture with their aspirations of securing a fourth consecutive Hundred championship hanging by a thread, even though they managed to edge out the league‑bottom side Birmingham Phoenix in a tightly contested match. The encounter, played at Edgbaston under the rare spectacle of a solar eclipse, turned into a must‑win scenario for the visitors.
After winning the toss, Phoenix elected to field, meaning MI London had to chase a sizable margin to keep their playoff chances alive. The target set by MI London was 157 for six wickets, a total that would have been sufficient provided they could restrict Phoenix to 98 runs or fewer.
In other words, they needed to win by at least 59 runs to overtake SunRisers Leeds for the third spot and clinch a home‑ground playoff berth. The early overs saw MI London make a strong start: three wickets fell in the powerplay, with Sikandar Raza delivering a clean‑bowled dismissal of Joe Clarke and Richard Gleeson following up by removing Mitchell Owen and Laurie Evans in consecutive deliveries. Gleeson’s spell lifted him to the top of the tournament’s wicket‑takers list, now boasting 14 victims.
Phoenix, however, steadied the ship with a resilient partnership between Jake Weatherley and Sean Dickson. Their collaboration added crucial runs, and a wayward delivery from Tom Curran – a wide that went for four – nudged Phoenix’s total to 99, just one run beyond the threshold MI London needed. That single run proved decisive, ending the London side’s slim hopes of advancing. The innings continued with drama.
Dickson, who had contributed a brisk 23 off 17 balls, fell lbw to Sam Curran. Shortly after, Weatherley (42 off 31) was caught deep, causing a loss of momentum for the hosts. Yet lower‑order contributions from Jordan Thompson (23 not out off 13) and Rehan Ahmed (23 off 11) kept the chase alive. The climax arrived when veteran bowler Trent Boult held his nerve, delivering precise late yorkers that secured a narrow two‑run victory for Phoenix.
Earlier in the match, MI London’s opening partnership showed promise. Will Jacks got off to a solid start before being dismissed by Chris Wood, who trapped him after a mistimed slice to deep point.
James Vince appeared in fine touch, and Nicholas Pooran announced his presence with an aggressive two‑ball, ten‑run burst that sent Tom Helm back to the pavilion. Helm, however, returned to claim Vince’s wicket (22 off 12) with a deceptive back‑of‑the‑hand slower ball.
Rehan Ahmed then applied pressure, outwitting Sam Curran with a well‑disguised googly and conceding just three runs in his first ten deliveries, including six consecutive dot balls. The innings also featured brief but impactful cameo appearances: Raza (17 off 13), debutant Ollie Sykes (23 not out off 14) and Tom Curran (17 not out off 9) all contributed useful runs, yet the total of 157 never looked enough to mount the miracle required. With the reigning champions now out, SunRisers Leeds will face Manchester Super Giants on Friday evening at The Kia Oval, with the winner earning a coveted place in the Lord’s final against the Trent Rockets.
Leeds captain Richard Gleeson summed up the disappointment: "To win five games and still miss out when two other sides have the same record is frustrating, but it underlines how strong this competition is. You have to be at your best every ball – a difference of 30, 40, even 50 runs can change everything." The situation mirrored that of the women’s teams from Welsh Fire and London Spirit, who also found themselves on the outside of the eliminator spots. Welsh Fire, despite a mathematically possible route, would have needed an unprecedented margin of victory to progress, given their four narrow wins and heavy defeats.
Nevertheless, the Cardiff crowd enjoyed a spirited display as London Spirit defended 131, securing their third win of the campaign. In that match, Fire won the toss and chose to bowl, a decision that paid off initially. Chris Woakes displayed his enduring class, restricting the powerful opening pair of Jonny Bairstow and Lhuandre Pretorius, while Lockie Ferguson capitalised on the pressure, taking the South African’s wicket after a dropped catch.
The powerplay ended at 34‑1, with Bairstow scoring 22 off 11. Twenty‑five balls later, the score read 59‑3, with Woakes having dismissed Bairstow for 34 off 19 and Marco Jansen delivering ten dot balls in his first fifteen. London Spirit’s leading run‑scorers, Liam Livingstone and Dewald Brevis (233 and 212 runs respectively in the tournament), fell cheaply.
James Coles, who had finally found form, managed 29 before a towering Jansen (6ft 8in) leapt at long‑off to take a catch off Tom Kohler‑Cadmore. Jamie Overton’s long‑handle effort could not prevent a modest 131‑8 total, as both Woakes and Jansen kept the run rate low.
When Fire batted, they lost Matt Short early, but Phil Salt and Joe Root steadied the innings, suggesting that a handful of wickets in hand would suffice to chase a modest target. At 90‑2 after 69 balls, with Jordan Cox accelerating, the outlook seemed positive. However, the momentum faded as Root (31 off 31) and Cox (44 off 28) were dismissed, and Kohler‑Cadmore, Ravindra and Jansen fell in the final eight balls, leaving Fire just one run short of victory, ultimately losing by six runs. The Hundred will continue to the finals on Sunday, August 16, with live coverage available on Sky Sports and streaming through NOW.
Fans are encouraged to use Chrome for the optimal video experience. The tournament’s blend of tight finishes, individual brilliance and the ever‑present possibility of upsets has kept spectators on the edge of their seats throughout the season.