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. 6 runs

    Phoenix 48-1

    Full toss to start from Saif Zaib... and Joe Clarke nails it flat over deep mid-wicket for six!

    The Edgbaston crowd enjoyed that one. Left-arm spinner Zaib is under pressure immediately.

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

    A solid start from the Birmingham Phoenix. Joe Clarke has played with some great intent which has allowed Will Smeed to get into his innings.

    Fire have not bowled as well as they would have liked.

  3. Phoenix 42-1

    Smeed 19, Clarke 17

    Drilled back past the bowler by Will Smeed.

    After a couple of edgy boundaries, that one is out of the middle. There was a slip from Stevie Eskinazi at mid-on as he tried to get round but he wasn't getting to it anyway.

    Powerplay done. A good one for Phoenix despite the loss of Ben Duckett.

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

    The batters here are under no pressure and are not having to look to take the bowler on. They can watch the ball come down and play on instincts.

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

    Don't bowl on the pads to Joe Clarke because it is not working. A lovely shot from him.

  6. Phoenix 33-1

    Shot!

    It's a 'hit me' ball from Riley Meredith, overpitched on leg stump, and Joe Clarke puts it away dismissively.

    Crunched wide of mid-on. Four the moment it left the ball.

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

    The crowd are finding their voice now as the third four comes up. A tough start for Ajeet Singh Dale today.

  8. Phoenix 29-1

    Ajeet Singh Dale has had a rough time of it so the last thing he needs is a good ball going to the boundary.

    He entices the drive from Will Smeed, finds the edge but the ball races down to the deep third boundary.

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

    Great shot from Joe Clarke. Number three can be a difficult decision to play at. This tournament he has come out and shown intent from the start of every innings.

  10. Phoenix 22-1

    Super shot from Joe Clarke.

    Too straight from Ajeet Singh Dale and the Phoenix number three times it brilliantly, hitting over mid-wicket for four.

    Four more! On the pads again and this time it's clipped through square leg. All along the ground to the boundary.

  11. Phoenix 14-1

    Very good start for Riley Meredith.

    The wicket of Ben Duckett and just three runs from his first five.

    Joe Clarke is the new batter for Phoenix.

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

    The Hundred has confounded Ben Duckett this year. I wonder if it is down to mental fatigue from a busy summer of Test cricket.

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

    I feel for Ben Duckett there. When it is not going your way, things like that seem to keep happening to you.

  14. wicket

    WICKET

    Duckett b Meredith 5 (Phoenix 12-1)

    Australia quick Riley Meredith takes over from David Payne and gets rid of Ben Duckett!

    It's an attempted yorker from Meredith, he doesn't get it quite right, it becomes a low full toss just outside off and Duckett throws the bat at it.

    But, as is the way things have gone for Duckett in The Hundred this year, the ball comes off the inside edge and back onto his stumps.

  15. How's stat?!

    Ashwanth R Kavuluri
    CricViz analyst

    In all T20s in 2025, Ben Duckett has a strike rate of 124 against left-arm quicks, compared to 147 against right-arm quicks.

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

    That was a great stop by the skipper Tom Abell which probably stopped four runs. Ben Duckett hit it very hard.

  17. Phoenix 11-0

    Width from David Payne to end his 10 balls, it's hammered into the covers by Ben Duckett but for no run.

    Brilliant diving stop from Tom Abell to deny the England man another boundary.

  18. Phoenix 9-0

    Four more to end the set.

    On the pads from David Payne and Ben Duckett whips it away over the leg side. One bounce for four.

    Nine from the first five but Payne will continue.

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

    That was a strange start. You are normally expecting David Payne to get a bit of swing back. Will Smeed found the gap well.

  20. Phoenix 4-0

    Boundary first ball!

    Wide ball from David Payne, angled across Will Smeed and the batter almost holds his bat out and watches as the ball loops off a thick outside edge.

    It's in the air for a while but lands safely and bounces over the boundary at a wide deep third position.