Summary

  • Spirit survive wobble from 108-3 to 124-7 to win opener

  • Eve Jones (47) & Amy Jones (33) help Phoenix to 128-6

  1. wicket

    WICKETpublished at Ball 24

    Verma b Davies 13 (Phoenix 24-2)

    Freya Davies, that was beautiful. Verma couldn't quite get going, and perhaps she was getting frustrated - so Davies executes a slower ball perfectly, it's loopy and Verma was nowhere near it.

  2. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 15:16 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    #bbccricket

    Sally: Looking forward to seeing Birmingham Phoenix ladies smash it!

    EdgbastonImage source, Twitter
  3. Postpublished at 15:15 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    London Spirit have decided to mix it up, we saw four different bowlers in the first 20 balls but now Freya Davies is coming back.

  4. Phoenix 22-1published at Ball 20

    What a set of five from Deandra Dottin. Eve Jones can't get a run from her first two balls, and the momentum might just be swaying back in favour of the Spirit.

  5. New batter: Evelyn Jonespublished at 15:14 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Evelyn Kones
  6. Postpublished at 15:13 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    It was a really good reaction catch as she followed through after releasing the ball. She's an athlete in every sense of the word.

  7. wicket

    WICKETpublished at Ball 17

    Mack c & b Dottin 7 (Phoenix 22-1)

    And she gets the breakthrough! It's a full toss and Mack has tried to whack it straight but can only find Dottin in her follow through.

  8. Phoenix 22-0published at Ball 16

    Deandra Dottin, the West Indies international, comes on to bowl.

    She's a really quick bowler - but a funny story is that she once took five wickets against my university team when we went on tour to Barbados - and she was bowling spin.

    Good times.

  9. Postpublished at 15:10 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    About time, we were almost waiting for that coil to spring from Verma. She's a very explosive batter and it was a very unlike her innings so far.

  10. Phoenix 21-0published at Ball 14

    And another! This one was hit much harder and straighter. Lovely to watch.

  11. Phoenix 17-0published at Ball 13

    Here she goes! Shafali Verma's patience runs out and she just clubs new bowler Naomi Dattani for four.

  12. Postpublished at 15:07 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    Freya Davies will be very happy with that.

  13. Phoenix 11-0published at Ball 10

    Mack and Verma are running a lot of singles here and are yet to hit a boundary.

    You sense it won't be long, though, before Verma gets going.

  14. Postpublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    That was a lovely bit of innovation from the Australian.

  15. Phoenix 10-0published at Ball 7

    England international Freya Davies bowls the second five, and Katie Mack gets down on one knee and scoops it over her shoulder. It doesn't go for four, but it will just put some doubt in Davies' head about where to bowl next.

  16. Postpublished at 15:05 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    London Spirit had the option to continue with Sharma for another five balls but they've decided to go with Freya Davies.

  17. Postpublished at 15:03 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Matthew Henry
    BBC Sport at Edgbaston

    The Birmingham kit is very bold. I think I like it.

    VermaImage source, Getty Images
  18. Phoenix 7-0published at Ball 3

    It's Deepti Sharma, another India player, who is bowling the first five balls for London Spirit.

    She bowls a ball that is over waist height to Katie Mack, which results in a free hit that Verma can only swipe for a single.

  19. Postpublished at 15:02 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Isabelle Westbury
    Ex-Middlesex captain on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

    Shafali Verma is a big hitter, she likes to clear the rope and hit big sixes.

  20. Postpublished at 15:01 British Summer Time 23 July 2021

    Aatif Nawaz
    BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra commentator

    The crowd is still building. I wouldn't say it's a packed house, nowhere near it, but I do think it will build as the day goes on.