Summary

  • Birmingham Phoenix v Welsh Fire men, The Hundred, Edgbaston

  • Fire chase 139 to win by eight wickets remaining with 11 balls to spare

  • Both sides still have slim chance of reaching knockouts but need to win both remaining games and hope results elsewhere go their way

  • Fire 140-2 (89 balls): Smith 47* (36), Eskinazi 42 (29)

  • Phoenix 138-9 (100 balls): Bethell 38 (28); Green 3-27

Livingstone hits roof with six - then dismissed moments later

Live Reporting

by Elizabeth Botcherby & Sam Drury

  1. Fire 70-0

    Target 139

    It just gets worse for Phoenix.

    Stephen Eskinazi goes for the scoop, misses, and wicketkeeper Joe Clarke is flat-footed behind the stumps. Four byes.

    Welsh Fire are cruising to victory.

  2. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That is so easy for Stephen Eskinazi to play it late. He gives himself room outside off-stump and picks the gap perfectly.

  3. Fire 66-0

    Target 139

    Well, that's a sub-optimal start from Chris Wood after the break.

    Stephen Eskinazi nicely times a late cut and picks a gap on the boundary for four.

  4. Fire 62-0

    Target 139

    The Steves run well to pick up six runs off Benny Howell, scoring off every ball.

    A strategic time-out is taken. I'll take a guess the message in the Birmingham Phoenix camp: "wickets".

  5. Ffion Wynne
    BBC Sport cricket writer on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Steve Smith of Welsh Fire batsGetty Images

    That is such a Steve Smith shot. You are thinking how on earth has he got that to the boundary?

  6. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Lovely timing from Steve Smith with a whip of the wrists. That has flown into the gap between the fielders.

  7. Fire 56-0

    Target 139

    Lovely stuff. Steve Smith whips the ball into leg-side and bisects two fielders on the rope. That rattled along the ground.

    Eight runs from Liam Livingstone's first set.

  8. Fire 48-0

    Target 139

    Welsh Fire pick up just three runs off Benny Howell's first four deliveries before Stephen Eskinazi finishes the set with a boundary, beating the fielder running round at deep point.

    With the required rate hovering around 1.3 runs per ball, Welsh Fire don't need to do rash.

  9. Fire 43-0

    Target 139

    How did that miss? Stephen Eskinazi swings and misses at Benny Howell's second delivery of the innings and the ball flies tantalisingly close to the stumps before pinging off Joe Clarke's pad for a bye. Pffffft.

  10. Fire 41-0

    Target 139

    Well, the sides are pretty much level at the end of the powerplay.

    Welsh Fire are 41-0, Birmingham Phoenix were 42-1 at the same stage.

    However, Phoenix lost 3-34 in their next 25 balls...

  11. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    This situation allows the batting side to take it deeper with the wickets in hand. You can allow someone like Steve Smith to be the anchor and allow the other players to play around him and take the pressure off.

  12. Fire 38-0

    Target 139

    Four more!

    Chris Wood has his hands on his head as Stephen Eskinazi cuts him away to the rope.

    It's going quite horribly for Birmingham Phoenix.

  13. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    This is turning into a decent start now. These two are taking the pressure off after a slow first few sets.

  14. 6 runs

    Fire 34-0

    Target 139

    Oh, it's an expensive set from Adam Milne.

    Four, one, four, dot, and then Steve Smith heaves him fine for six. That flew.

    Smith has 12 (7), Stephen Eskinazi has 22 (13).

  15. Fire 28-0

    Target 139

    Steve Smith joins in on the boundary fun.

    I don't think he was aiming in that direction but they all count - he collects four over cover.

  16. Ashwanth R Kavuluri
    CricViz analyst

    Birmingham Phoenix have been the most expensive bowling unit in this year's Hundred, conceding at eight runs per set.

  17. Daniel Norcross
    Test Match Special commentator on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Steve Smith is trying to pick off the ones and twos. Not a hugely frenetic start from either batter.

  18. Fire 19-0

    Target 139

    Boom. The ball races off Stephen Eskinazi's bat and away for four. That's a very well-timed pull.

    Welsh Fire are ticking along very nicely.

  19. Josh Cobb
    Former Northants batter on Radio 5 Sports Extra

    If there is a ground to win this chase, this is one of the better batting wickets to do it on. Chasing this total at Cardiff would be a totally different story.

  20. Fire 11-0

    Target 139

    Tee hee. Stephen Eskinazi goes for a cute scoop but edges the ball to third instead.

    Three runs from Adam Milne's first set. He followed Eskinazi all the way. A tidy set.