Nicholas Pooran Turns On the Beast Mode as MI London Dominate Phoenix
MI London went on to defeat Birmingham Phoenix by five wickets at Edgbaston in The Hundred. Joe Root played a composed 52 knock which helped Birmingham Phoenix to post a strong total. But it was all worth nothing when Nicholas Pooran smashed 61 runs off 32 balls in the chase.
Pitch and Weather
The match will be played at Edgbaston, which is expected to offer a good batting surface with consistent bounce and quick outfield. The short boundaries will be able to reward the batsmen for their stroke play, as the seamers will be able to find some swing with the new ball. Spinners will also play a role in this game as the innings progresses. Partly cloudy conditions with a light breeze are expected, making the opening phase useful for fast bowlers.
Toss
MI London wins the toss and decides to bowl first. The team aims to make use of early seam conditions and take down Birmingham Phoenix for a low total.
Lineups
Birmingham Phoenix: Mitchell Owen, Joe Root, Joe Weatherley, Laurie Evans, Sean Dickson, Donovan Ferreira (C), Jordan Thompson, Rehan Ahmed, Tom Helm, Saqib Mahmood, Usman Tariq
MI London: Will Jacks, James Vince, Nicholas Pooran, Sam Curran (C), Sherfane Rutherford, Ollie Pope, Sikandar Raza, Tom Curran, Trent Boult, Richard Gleeson, Nathan Sowter
Match Report
Birmingham Phoenix was able to make a positive start with Mitchell Owen and Joe Root putting up 46 runs, before Owen lost his wicket to Trent Boult after scoring 27. Root continued to anchor the innings while Joe Weatherley was able to find some boundaries. Nathan Sowter came in to take the wicket of Weatherley for 24, when Laurie Evans entered the crease.
Root and Evans were able to add 49 runs together, before Sikandar Raza broke the partnership. Root lost his wicket after scoring 52 runs off 35 balls, as Donovan Ferreira played a quick knock of 31 runs off 18 balls. Phoenix went on to finish their innings at the score of 164/6 in 100 balls.
MI London started their chase positively, as Will Jacks and James Vince added 57 runs in the first 30 balls. Saqib Mahmood came to remove Vince, while Rehan Ahmed quickly removed Jacks to bring Phoenix back in the game. Nicholas Pooran was able to counterattack brilliantly, as he stitched a partnership with Sam Curran.
Pooran’s aggressive momentum changed the game completely, as Curran also played some key strokes. The team needed 32 runs off 20 balls when Nicholas Pooran smashed three fours and one six before losing his wicket after scoring 61 runs off 32 balls. Sam Curran was able to finish the job along with Sherfane Rutherford, as MI London reached 166/5 with three balls remaining.
Player of the Match
Nicholas Pooran received the Player of the Match award for scoring 61 runs off 32 balls, as his knock changed the game in the favour of MI London, even when the team had lost quick wickets.
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