Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men taking place? Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men will take place on Wednesday 4th August, 2021 at 19:00 (UK)
Where is Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men taking place? Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men will take place at Edgbaston in Birmingham
What is the expected weather for Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men? 17-19c with sunny intervals and light winds
Where can I get tickets for Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men? Click here for the latest ticket information for Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men
What TV channel is Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men on in the UK? Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men will be televised live on Sky Sports
Where can I stream Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men? Sky Sports subscribers can stream Birmingham Phoenix Men vs Oval Invincibles Men live via Sky Go
THE TEAM NEWS
BIRMINGHAM PHOENIX MEN
- Birmingham Phoenix ended a run of two straight defeats with an impressive victory against league leaders Trent Rockets, firmly establishing themselves as a strong side at home.
- After restricting the Rockets to 144/6 on a very good Edgbaston pitch for batting, the hosts turned on the style by wielding the willow to great effect, young opener Will Smeed blasting 36 from just 13 balls whilst partner Finn Allen smashed 43 from 23 deliveries, as both opening batters successfully broke the back of the Phoenix run chase, helping them cruise to their target with a full 26 balls remaining.
- Worcestershire’s highly rated young bowler Pat Brown was afforded an opportunity in the team, but may be taken back out of the firing line after recording underwhelming figures of 15 balls for the loss of 30 runs with no wickets.
OVAL INVINCIBLES MEN
- Oval Invincibles bounced back from their loss away at Northern Superchargers with a comfortable six-wicket win vs Welsh Fire, which saw them bowl first upon winning the toss before chasing down a target of 122 in 93 balls.
- Skipper Sam Billings played a captain’s knock with the bat, scoring 40 not out, whilst Surrey’s Laurie Evans batting at six made a case for being utilised up the order in future matches, hitting an unbeaten 28 with two successive sixes to finish the game off.
- There is a concern over the form of overseas bit hitter Colin Ingram, who is yet to score a significant score in the tournament and two Kent batters in Jordan Cox and Alex Blake will be both be hoping for an opportunity to show what they can do in this match.
THE PREDICTION
Victory here for Birmingham Phoenix would see them leapfrog Oval Invincibles in the table, so Moeen Ali’s side certainly won’t be lacking motivation here. The visitors’ only completed fixture on the road so far saw them fall to defeat vs Northern Superchargers and their bowling will need to be on top form here against a destructive top order. Edgbaston has suited big hitting batters so far with one of the smaller boundary lengths of the eight Hundred venues and it is no coincidence that Birmingham Phoenix have won both their home games so far with their aggressive playstyle having worked a treat on this ground. A packed crowd will get right behind the home team and whilst this contest is expected to be a far closer affair than Birmingham Phoenix’s victory over Trent Rockets, the hosts should do enough to get over the line.
