The Hundred: BPH vs WEF Match Report

Imran Tahir, Moeen Ali, and Will Smeed set up a big win for Birmingham Phoenix (BPH) against Welsh Fire (WEF) in the Hundred on Monday. Half-centuries from Smeed and Moeen helped Birmingham Phoenix post 184 after being asked to bat first. The former South Africa spinner wrecked Welsh Fire’s chase with a hat-trick and bagged a five-wicket haul.

Smeed gave Birmingham Phoenix an excellent start, hitting a boundary and a six in the opening ten balls. However, Matt Milnes removed Finn Allen in his first ball after the New Zealand batsman holed out to Glenn Phillips at deep backward square. The 27-year-old conceded just one run in his first set of five.

At the end of the powerplay, Birmingham Phoenix was 35/1. Moeen smashed a six off Luke Fletcher and Qais Ahmad’s second set of five. He then thrashed Graeme White for three sixes and a four in his first five balls. The Northamptonshire spinner ended up conceding 26 runs. Smeed, taking a cue from his skipper, hammered the ball into the stands off Milnes.

Moeen reached his half-century in 23 balls. Meanwhile, Birmingham Phoenix brought up their 100 in just 49 balls. James Neesham put an end to the partnership with the wicket of Moeen, who and Smeed put together 92 runs in 44 balls.

Ben Duckett brought White back into the attack. But he got punished again as Livingstone scored a boundary and six, and Birmingham Phoenix moved to 128/2 after 65 balls. The 19-year-old cleared the ropes in Neesham’s second set of five and registered his first half-century in the 100-ball tournament.

The 47-run stand between Livingstone and Smeed ended when David Payne dismissed the England international, who hit two sixes and as many boundaries, in the 83rd ball. He also claimed the wickets of Chris Benjamin and Benny Howell at the death. Smeed and Miles Hammond 17 runs in the last five balls to set Welsh Fire a daunting target.

In reply to 184, Tom Banton departed in the fifth ball of the innings. Adam Milne trapped the 22-year-old in front of the wicket. Ian Cockbain and Duckett steered Welsh Fire to 41/1 after 25 balls. Tahir conceded a six off Duckett, while Cockbain hit successive fours in Pat Brown’s first set. However, Howell sent the Welsh Fire stand-in skipper back to the pavilion for 16.

The new man Phillips hit a massive six but perished two balls later. Leus du Plooy departed after giving a return catch to Tahir. It got even worse for the visitors. They lost the wickets of Cockbain, Neesham, and White in the space of 13 balls. Tahir finished off the tail in three balls and, in the process, become the first player to take a hat-trick in the Hundred.

From 41/1, Welsh Fire succumbed for 91. Tahir became the second player after Marchant de Lange to grab a fifer in the Hundred. The franchise also suffered their fourth successive defeat in the tournament.

BPH 184/5 in 100 balls (W Smeed 65*, M Ali 59; D Payne 3/38)

WEF 91 all out in 74 balls (I Cockbain 32; I Tahir 5/25, B Howell 2/12)

Player of the Match

Moeen had another sensational game in Birmingham Phoenix colors; he struck a half-century, grabbed the wicket of Cockbain, and took the catch to dismiss Philipps. The England all-rounder, who might have played his last match of the tournament after being added to the squad for the second Test against India, played some terrific shots. He turned White’s opening set of five into a nightmare for the spinner – three sixes and a four. Qais, Fletcher, and Milnes, too, couldn’t keep Moeen quiet.

Top Fantasy XI

I Tahir (153 pts), M Ali (113 pts), W Smeed (97 pts), D Payne (77 pts), B Howell (67 pts), I Cockbain (50 pts), A Milne (47 pts), L Livingstone (41 pts), J Neesham (35 pts), B Duckett (32 pts), G Phillips (30 pts)