Phoenix beat Spirit in close thriller
Sean Abbott takes 4-14 as Birmingham Phoenix beat London Spirit in a thrilling game in The Hundred men’s competition at Lord’s.
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Sean Abbott took 4-14 as Birmingham Phoenix beat London Spirit in a thrilling game in The Hundred men’s competition at Lord’s.
The Australian seamer got his side off to a flying start, claiming his four scalps in a ten-ball set where he conceded just two runs and reduced the Phoenix to 31-5.
Liam Dawson and Andre Russell hauled their side back towards a respectable total, putting on 40 for the seventh wicket before the England spinner was removed by Tim Southee in sight of the close.
Russell proceeded to hammer three sixes from Adam Milne’s final set as Spirit finished on 127-7.
Phoenix had a horror start to their chase, falling to 20-4 inside the powerplay and losing England batters Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali for four and a duck respectively.
Youngsters Dan Mousley (39) and Jacob Bethell (43) then put on their own innings saving partnership, adding 69 from 51 balls.
But both fell before they could see their side home, leaving Benny Howell (24*) to lead the Phoenix attempt to close out the match.
Dawson came on to bowl an innings-closing ten ball set with the visitors needing seven runs to win.
He swiftly had James Fuller caught on the boundary and conceded just six runs from his first eight balls, but Howell drove the penultimate delivery of the match through the covers for four to secure a remarkable victory.
What else do you need to know?
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Jacob Bethell, who was selected in the BBC’s Next Gen 2024 list of top young talent in the tournament, is just 20-years-old. The Barbados-born left-hander hit four fours and one six in his crucial innings.
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His batting partner Dan Mousley, 23, may have also taken the catch of the tournament. Taking an Adam Rossington skier on the deep square boundary, he attempted to relay the ball to teammate Adam Milne as he fell back over the ropes. Seeing that Milne would be unable to take the catch himself, he dived back on the field to complete the dismissal.
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Sign Andre Russell and you expect boundaries. The big Jamaican delivered, hitting one four and four sixes from just 20 balls.
‘He is a real talent’ – what they said
Phoenix’s match hero Sean Abbott: “Not going for runs is the most important bit in this format. All games have the ability to go tight right at the end, so it’s about keeping the run rate down and if we can pick up some wickets along the way, that’s definitely a bonus.
“The first two games of the tournament have definitely favoured the bowlers. Tonight it moved around a little bit, I probably didn’t expect this much seam movement at this time of the year.”
Phoenix captain Moeen Ali: “It was a great game of cricket. I thought our two young left-handers in the middle were outstanding. They won us the game really.”
On his teammate Sean Abbott: “He can bowl at any time and with real length on it. He is a real good cricketer – great in the field, batting and bowling – and that’s the kind of player that you want in your side.”
On Jacob Bethell who got 43 runs in the chase: “He is a real talent and a class player who plays beautiful shots. I think he will go on to do really well for England.
“He has the talent for it and the mind for it. He is really relaxed and I find it amazing that he is only 20-years-old!”
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What is happening on Sunday?
The double-headers continue in Cardiff on Sunday, with Welsh Fire hosting Oval Invincibles (women’s at 15:00 BST and men’s at 18:35).
Both sides enjoyed convincing wins in their opening fixtures, chasing down totals under 90 with minimal fuss.
You can follow ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and the BBC Sport website and app.
