Phoenix beat Spirit by seven wickets
Livingstone blasts 45 not out off 20 balls and Bethell 18* off eight to get Phoenix over line with 35 balls to spare
Clarke also makes 54 off 25 balls
Spirit post 126-6 - Williamson 33 (29); Boult 2-20, Livingstone 2-26
Phoenix won toss and bowl
Phoenix are bottom with one win; Spirit sit fifth with two victories
Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live Sport commentary at top of page
Soham Sarkhel
CricViz analyst
Birmingham Phoenix's openers have scored 115 runs in 10 innings between them, which is the lowest for any team this season, 73 runs less than the next worst team (Southern Brave).
Target 127
He's got another one for four! Joe Clarke has 49 from 22 balls.
Phoenix look to be eyeing a win but also a big net run-rate boost.
Image source, Getty Images
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Joe Clarke picked that shot up so quickly! He absolutely dispatched that over the leg side. The bat speed was just phenomenal.
69 needed from 66 balls
Forget Liam Livingstone, give Joe Clarke the strike right now.
The right-hander smokes a short one to put Richard Gleeson into the Hollies.
The next ball is punted for four too.
Ben Duckett has endured a difficult Hundred competition.
The England opener has scored 49 runs in five innings, meaning he is averaging just 9.80.
It's been a long summer for him already with white-ball games around Tests against Zimbabwe and five against India. He's in the squad for matches against South Africa in September too.
Ffion Wynne
BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
A big moment that. Frustration for Ben Duckett, who found himself a little bit starved of the strike and maybe a little bit frustrated about the match situation in terms of where he found himself.
Liam Livingstone was in sparkling form a few nights ago though, taking down Oval Invincibles pretty much single-handedly.
Michael Carberry
Former England batter on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
I wonder if London Spirit are going to rue the fact of only having one spinner in their line-up. They have gone for a generally pace-on attack, but they should've thought about the nature of this wicket.
If you look at the likes of Benny Howell coming in and taking the pace off, perhaps having a similar option might've been the better way to go today.
Duckett c Williamson b Dawson 11 (Phoenix 46-2)
Image source, Getty ImagesBen Duckett falls to the spin of Liam Dawson. Those two were playing a Test together not too long ago and will reunite for England in the T20s next month but now it's the wily Spirit bowler who has won the battle.
Dawson pushed it wide to the left-hander and he just slapped it to extra cover.
Duckett's quiet Hundred goes on.
Michael Carberry
Former England batter on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
It is really good to see Olly Stone back. I'm a big fan of him.
I faced him in the backend of my career and I was really impressed with what I saw. I liked what areas he hit, especially as someone who likes to bowl fast. He bowls a very good line and length.
Target 127
Olly Stone is playing today today after an injury to Jamie Overton. This is not his best effort. Joe Clarke screams one through the covers and then lofts another high over the Sky pod.
Clarke has 32 from 16. Ben Duckett has hardly had a look-in.
Michael Carberry
Former England batter on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Good batting from Joe Clarke. He isn't letting these London Spirit bowlers get away with anything. As soon as they miss their spot, he is getting all over them.
That's what you have to do, knowing that things will probably get tougher in the middle phase of the innings.
Steven Finn
Former England fast bowler on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Richard Gleeson is the quickest bowler in The Hundred this year, according to the ball tracking. He has clocked up 94.1mph apparently.
It doesn't look like he has hit those dizzy heights just yet today though.
Clarke 26, Duckett 3
Gleeson starts well by thudding the ball into the pitch but Joe Clarke swings the final ball away to keep this Phoenix moving.
98 runs are needed from 80 balls with Olly Stone about to enter the attack.
Image source, Getty ImagesMichael Carberry
Former England batter on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
Birmingham Phoenix have got to look to be aggressive and use that new ball whilst it's hard. It seemed to get a lot harder as the ball got softer in that first innings.
From one big veteran quick to another. Here's Richard Gleeson.
Clarke 21, Duckett 0
The first bowling change brings Dan Worrall into the attack but he is also sent packing by Joe Clarke who times him to the mid-on boundary.
Clarke has a few big heaves afterwards and misses. He at least sees the funny side.
Michael Carberry
Former England batter on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
It will be interesting to see how Ben Duckett goes about this. He is a batsman that likes width and likes to throw his hands strongly through that square point.
London Spirit have already got someone posted back there for that square cut though.
Soham Sarkhel
CricViz analyst
This is only the second time in the Hundred where two openers have been bowled for a duck. The previous time it happened was in 2021, one of the bowlers was George Garton, the other? Luke Wood.
Target 127
Ah. It was all going so well.
Three fours in a row from Joe Clarke to Luke Wood and that early wicket is suddenly a long way in the distance.
Michael Carberry
Former England batter on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra
It's a very good idea to put Luke Wood on again, especially because he has already got the ball swinging. He is obviously nice and warm and loose.
If he can pick up another one or two wickets, London Spirit will be right in this game.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dots | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Warner,caught Duckett, bowled Livingstone Warner, caught Duckett, bowled Livingstone | 9 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 75.00 |
Smith,bowled Boult Smith, bowled Boult | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.00 |
Williamson,bowled Wood Williamson, bowled Wood | 33 | 29 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 33 | 113.79 |
Pope,caught Wood, bowled Livingstone Pope, caught Wood, bowled Livingstone | 23 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 135.29 |
A Turner,bowled Boult A Turner, bowled Boult | 20 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 133.33 |
Dickson,caught Duckett, bowled Howell Dickson, caught Duckett, bowled Howell | 16 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 106.67 |
Dawson,not out Dawson, not out | 12 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 150.00 |
Wood,not out Wood, not out | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 66.67 |
Extras, no balls 2, wides 5, byes 4, leg byes 0, total 11 Extras, no balls 2, wides 5, byes 4, leg byes 0, total 11 | |||||||
Total,126 for 6 100 balls Total,126 for 6 100 balls |
| Bowler | Balls | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Dots | No balls | Wides | 4s | 6s | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Boult | 20 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6.00 |
Milne | 20 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4.80 |
Southee | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 20.40 |
Livingstone | 20 | 0 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7.80 |
Howell | 20 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8.10 |
Wood | 15 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.40 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
3 for 1 (3 balls) | Smith |
39 for 2 (30 balls) | Warner |
67 for 3 (52 balls) | Williamson |
81 for 4 (63 balls) | Pope |
108 for 5 (84 balls) | Dickson |
122 for 6 (96 balls) | A Turner |
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Dots | 4s | 6s | Minutes | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Smeed,bowled Wood Smeed, bowled Wood | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
Duckett,caught Williamson, bowled Dawson Duckett, caught Williamson, bowled Dawson | 11 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 110.00 |
Clarke,caught Pope, bowled Worrall Clarke, caught Pope, bowled Worrall | 54 | 25 | 8 | 9 | 2 | 28 | 216.00 |
Livingstone,not out Livingstone, not out | 45 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 26 | 225.00 |
Bethell,not out Bethell, not out | 18 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 225.00 |
Extras, no balls 0, wides 3, byes 0, leg byes 0, total 3 Extras, no balls 0, wides 3, byes 0, leg byes 0, total 3 | |||||||
Total,131 for 3 65 balls Total,131 for 3 65 balls |
| Bowler | Balls | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Dots | No balls | Wides | 4s | 6s | Economy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wood | 10 | 0 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 10.20 |
Worrall | 12 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 10.00 |
Gleeson | 15 | 0 | 44 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 17.60 |
Stone | 10 | 0 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 17.40 |
Dawson | 8 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7.50 |
A Turner | 10 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6.60 |
| Fall of wicket | Batter |
|---|---|
0 for 1 (2 balls) | Smeed |
46 for 2 (30 balls) | Duckett |
68 for 3 (40 balls) | Clarke |
