The Hundred Men’s, 2021, Match 18, Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, Match Prediction – Who will win today’s match?

Preview

Birmingham Phoenix are set to lock horns with Oval Invincibles in the 18th match of the Men’s Hundred at the Edgbaston in Birmingham. Both the teams have had a similar campaign in the tournament, having won two and lost two. The Invincibles are higher in the points table on NRR.

The Invincibles, however, will be high on confidence after beating Welsh Fire by six wickets. Sam Billings played a captain’s knock to see his team over the finishing line. The Phoenix are also coming off a six-wicket win over Trent Rockets. Hence, both the teams will be fairly high in confidence.

Match Details

Match – Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles – 18th match

Venue – Edgbaston, Birmingham

Time – 11:30 PM IST, 06:00 PM GMT

Where to watch live – Fancode

Pitch Report

The pitch in Birmingham is expected to be an excellent one for batting. The track may not change in nature throughout the course of the match. Hence, batting second should be the way forward

Avg first innings score: 144 (2 matches in the Hundred at Lord’s)

Record of chasing teams: Won – 2, Lost – 0, N/R – 0

Playing combinations

Birmingham Phoenix

Predicted XI

Finn Allen, Will Smeed, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (c), Miles Hammond, Chris Benjamin (wk), Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Tom Helm, Patrick Brown, Imran Tahir

Bench– Adam Hose, Dillon Pennington, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Chris Cooke

Oval Invincibles

Predicted XI

Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Sunil Narine, Colin Ingram, Jordan Clark, Sam Billings (c & wk), Laurie Evans, Tom Curran, Tabraiz Shamsi, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood

Bench- Nathan Sowter, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jordan Cox, Brandon Glover, Alex Blake

Probable best batter of the match

Liam Livingstone— Birmingham Phoenix

Liam Livingstone has played brilliantly for the Phoenix thus far in the tournament. In four matches, the right-hander has notched 122 runs at an average of 61 and strike rate of 150.61. He also has a top score of an unbeaten 68 in one of the games. If the right-hander gets his eyes in, then the Invincibles could end up chasing leather.

Probable best bowler of the match

Adam Milne— Birmingham Phoenix

Adam Milne has been outstanding for the Phoenix in the tournament. The New Zealand fast bowler has picked up seven wickets and is the leading wicket-taker for his team in the league. Moreover, with an economy rate of 0.78, he has been the most frugal bowler for the Phoenix. He will be looking to put forth a similar show next time as well.

Today’s match prediction: The team, batting second to win the match.

Disclaimer: This prediction is based on the understanding, analysis, and instinct of the author. While making your prediction, consider the points mentioned, and make your own decision.