Scheduled for Thursday, August 24, 2023, the 32nd match of The Hundred League 2023 will feature a showdown between Birmingham Phoenix and London Spirit. The venue for this encounter is Edgbaston in Birmingham.

In this season of The Hundred League, Birmingham Phoenix’s performance has been far from satisfactory. Out of the seven matches they’ve participated in, they managed to secure victory in only one. Conversely, they suffered defeat in four matches, and the outcome of two matches remained undecided. As a result, they find themselves positioned at the bottom of the points table.

Likewise, London Spirit has struggled to demonstrate their best form throughout the tournament. Having contested in seven matches, they emerged victorious in just two. Unfortunately, they faced defeat in three matches, and two matches concluded without a definitive result. As it stands, they currently occupy the sixth position on the points table.

Birmingham Phoenix’s recent match saw them defeated by Trent Rockets by a margin of 46 runs. Their prior encounter against Southern Brave also resulted in a loss, with Southern Brave securing victory by four wickets. However, Birmingham Phoenix managed to overcome Oval Invincibles with a significant margin of 41 runs in an earlier match.

Impressively, their batting lineup performed well, accumulating 160 runs within 100 deliveries. Jamie Smith emerged as the standout performer and top scorer, amassing 60 runs from just 33 balls, inclusive of six boundaries and three powerful sixes. The team’s skipper, Moeen Ali, contributed with 33 runs, facing 26 balls, and striking one boundary along with two substantial sixes. Ben Duckett added 23 runs to the total from 14 balls, embellished with five boundaries, while Dan Mousley chipped in with 15 runs.

Birmingham Phoenix’s bowling unit delivered an exceptional performance in their previous match, successfully defending the target of 161 runs. They dismissed Oval Invincibles for a total of 119 runs in 99 balls. Kane Richardson stood out as the most successful bowler, securing four wickets in 19 balls while conceding 32 runs. Adam Milne also made a valuable contribution, taking two wickets in 20 balls and conceding only 18 runs. Chris Woakes, Benny Howell, and Liam Livingstone each picked up one wicket. Regrettably, Moeen Ali was the only bowler who didn’t manage to secure a wicket.

Birmingham Phoenix exhibits strength as a team, and the signs point to a promising performance in their upcoming match.

London Spirit faced defeat at the hands of Welsh Fire in their most recent encounter, conceding by a margin of six wickets. Despite winning the toss and opting to bat first, their batting order faltered, leading to a meager total of 109 runs within 100 balls. The top order struggled to find their footing, whereas the middle and lower order managed to salvage some runs. Zak Crawley, A Rossington, Daniel Lawrence, and Matthew Wade faced difficulties in delivering their best performances during the match.

Among their ranks, Liam Dawson emerged as the most successful batter, accumulating 24 runs from 14 balls, which included two boundaries and a substantial six. Ravi Bopara’s noteworthy performance resulted in an unbeaten 24 runs. He played a composed innings, facing 20 balls and striking two boundaries. Regrettably, the bowling unit of London Spirit encountered challenges as well, allowing the opposition to chase down the 110-run target within 93 balls.

Daniel Worrall stood out as the lone impactful bowler from their side, securing three wickets in 20 balls while conceding 24 runs. Liam Dawson contributed with one wicket in 20 balls, conceding 20 runs. Jordan Thompson, Ravi Bopara, Nathan Ellis, and Daryl Mitchell were unable to secure any wickets during their bowling spells.

On paper, London Spirit holds a considerable advantage over Birmingham Phoenix in terms of overall strength. According to The Hundred’s prediction, London Spirit stands as the favored team expected to secure victory in this match. Several factors contribute to London Spirit’s status as the frontrunner:

1. Superior Tournament Performance: London Spirit has showcased a better performance than Birmingham Phoenix in this tournament.

2. Underlying Strength: London Spirit boasts a potent lineup, although their performance hasn’t been consistently impressive.

3. Robust Batting Order: London Spirit possesses a formidable batting order that is currently in good form.

4. Past Success: London Spirit has a history of winning against Birmingham Phoenix in previous matches.

5. Birmingham Phoenix’s Struggles: Birmingham Phoenix’s performance, unfortunately, has not been up to par.

With these factors considered, London Spirit is anticipated to leverage its strengths and emerge victorious in the upcoming match against Birmingham Phoenix.

London Spirit boasts a lineup comprising a blend of seasoned veterans and promising young talents, perfectly attuned to the T20 format. The team’s batting order stands out as a notable strength, featuring renowned power hitters synonymous with T20 cricket. Consequently, London Spirit’s prospects of clinching victory in today’s match have been significantly bolstered. The forecast regarding today’s cricket match outcome can be outlined as follows:

London Spirit holds a favorable 54% chance to emerge victorious in this match.
In contrast, Birmingham Phoenix is bestowed with a 46% chance to secure a win in this encounter

The toss holds a crucial role in determining the outcomes of all The Hundred League matches. Accumulating a substantial score on the scoreboard consistently proves to be a significant advantage in such high-stakes encounters. As indicated by the toss prediction, the team that secures the toss may opt to take the batting position first.

Set to take place at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester, the 32nd fixture of The Hundred League 2023 is on the horizon. Past matches at this venue have revealed that the pitch is conducive to batting. However, compared to other tracks, this surface tends to be slower, offering significant assistance to spin bowlers. As the match progresses, we anticipate the pitch to gradually decelerate, potentially posing additional challenges for batting. Crossing the 185-run mark is likely to prove a challenging pursuit in these conditions.

The weather outlook for the match day in Manchester indicates the presence of scattered clouds. Fortunately, the forecast does not suggest any likelihood of rain. Therefore, we can anticipate enjoying an uninterrupted and complete match.

Birmingham Phoenix: Will Smeed, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (c), Chris Benjamin, Benny Howell, Chris Woakes, Adam Milne, Kane Richardson, Tanveer Sangha.

London Spirit: Zak Crawley, Adam Rossington (wk), Daniel Lawrence (c), Matthew Wade, Daryl Mitchell, Ravi Bopara, Matthew Critchley, Jordan Thompson, Liam Dawson, Nathan Ellis, Daniel Worrall.

It will be updated shortly

• Date: Thursday, 24th August 2023
• Time: 05:30 PM GMT / 06:30 PM LOCAL / 11:00 PM IST

• Stadium: Edgbaston
• Location: Birmingham, England
• Opened: 1882
• Capacity: 21,000
• Ends: City End, Pavilion End
• Time Zone: UTC +01:00
• Home to: Warwickshire

Jacob Bethell, Henry Brookes, Shadab Khan, Miles Hammond, Tom Helm, Dan Mousley, Will Smeed, Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith (wk), Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali (c), Chris Benjamin, Benny Howell, Chris Woakes, Adam Milne, Kane Richardson, Tanveer Sangha.