MI London entered the final men’s group match with their aspirations of securing a fourth consecutive Hundred championship hanging by a thread, even though they managed to edge out the league’s lowest‑ranked side, Birmingham Phoenix, in a closely contested game. The Edgbaston arena was bathed in a rare solar eclipse as the visitors set out with a clear objective: win by a margin of at least 59 runs to overtake SunRisers Leeds for third place and clinch a home‑ground play‑off spot. After winning the toss, Phoenix elected to field, putting the onus on MI London to post a formidable total.
MI London posted 157 for 6, a score that would have been sufficient if they could have bundled Phoenix out for 98 or less. The early overs gave them hope, with three wickets falling in the powerplay. Sikandar Raza struck gold, clean‑bowling Joe Clarke, while Richard Gleeson followed with consecutive dismissals of Mitchell Owen and Laurie Evans, cementing his status as the tournament’s leading wicket‑taker with 14 scalps. Phoenix, however, steadied their chase through a resilient partnership between Jake Weatherley and Sean Dickson.
A wayward delivery from Tom Curran went wide, nudging Phoenix’s total to 99 and effectively ending MI London’s slim chance of a 59‑run win. Dickson, who had contributed 23 runs off 17 balls, fell lbw to Sam Curran. Curran then trapped Weatherley (42 off 31) in the deep, causing the hosts to lose momentum.
Jordan Thompson (23 off 13) and Rehan Ahmed (23 off 11) made inroads, but Trent Boult held his nerve in the final overs, delivering precise yorkers that secured a narrow two‑run win for Phoenix. Earlier in the innings, Will Jacks gave MI London a promising start before Chris Wood dismissed him after a mistimed slice to deep point. James Vince appeared in good touch, and Nicholas Pooran announced his presence by dispatching Tom Helm for ten runs in two balls.
Helm, however, turned the tables by bowling Vince (22 off 12) with a back‑of‑the‑hand slower ball. Rehan Ahmed then applied the brakes, deceiving Sam Curran with a well‑timed googly and conceding just three runs from his first ten balls, including six consecutive dot balls. The cameo contributions of Raza (17 off 13), debutant Ollie Sykes (23 not out off 14) and Tom Curran (17 not out off 9) added depth, but MI London’s total never seemed enough to pull off the miracle they required. With the defending champions now out, SunRisers Leeds will face Manchester Super Giants on Friday evening at The Kia Oval, with a coveted Lord’s final against Trent Rockets on the line.
Gleeson reflected on the disappointment: "Winning five games and still missing out when two other sides have the same record is frustrating, but it highlights the strength of this competition. You have to be at your best throughout – a 30, 40 or 50‑run swing can decide everything." Meanwhile, Welsh Fire and London Spirit found themselves in similar predicaments to their female counterparts, unable to qualify for the eliminator at The Oval or the Sunday final at Lord’s. Fire’s path to qualification was mathematically open but would have required a record‑breaking victory margin, given their four narrow wins and heavy defeats. Nevertheless, the spirit of competition remained high in front of a raucous Cardiff crowd as London Spirit defended 131 to notch their third win of the season.
After winning the toss, Fire chose to bowl, and Chris Woakes immediately shone, containing the powerful duo of Jonny Bairstow and Lhuandre Pretorius. His pressure allowed Lockie Ferguson to claim the South African after a dropped catch.
The powerplay ended at 34 for 1, with Bairstow on 22 off 11. Twenty‑five balls later the score read 59 for 3, as Woakes dismissed Bairstow for 34 off 19 and Marco Jansen bowled ten dot balls in his first fifteen deliveries. London Spirit’s leading run‑scorers, Liam Livingstone and Dewald Brevis (233 and 212 runs respectively in the tournament), fell cheaply, while James Coles, finally finding form, managed 29 before Jansen’s towering 6‑ft‑8‑in frame took a catch at long‑off for Tom Kohler‑Cadmore. Jamie Overton’s long‑handle effort could not prevent a modest 131‑8 total, with both Woakes and Jansen conceding less than a run per ball.
When Fire batted, they lost Matt Short immediately, but Phil Salt and Joe Root steadied the innings, suggesting that a few wickets in hand would be enough to chase a modest target. At 90 for 2 after 69 balls, with Jordan Cox flexing his muscles, the chase looked comfortable. However, the momentum faded as Root (31 off 31) and Cox (44 off 28) fell, and Kohler‑Cadmore, Ravindra and Jansen were dismissed in the final eight balls, leaving Fire just one run short of victory.
They eventually lost by six runs. Fans can continue to follow The Hundred through to the finals on Sunday, August 16, with streaming available on NOW without a contract.