Welsh Fire beat Birmingham Phoenix by 7 wickets (with 4 balls remaining) – The Hundred Match Report
Welsh Fire won by 7 wickets (with 4 balls remaining) in the 15th match of 34 in Birmingham Phoenix‘s home fixture at Edgbaston. Joe Root delivered a commanding 58 off 40 balls to steer the visitors to a dominant chase, with Lockie Ferguson taking 2/20 to dismantle Phoenix’s batting in a clinical performance.
Birmingham Phoenix Collapse to 137
Birmingham Phoenix won the toss and elected to bat, but their innings never gained momentum. Will Smeed fell early for 5 at 9/1 in the opening over, and Mitchell Owen was caught for 18 at 53/2 in the 6th over. Joe Clarke provided some resistance with 35 off 23 balls (4 fours, 2 sixes, strike rate 152), but his dismissal at 70/3 in the 9th over left Phoenix in trouble.
Rehan Ahmed struck 13 off 8 (1 six) before being run out at 79/4, and Laurie Evans fell for just 1 at 73/5. Donovan Ferreira made 23 off 21 (1 four, 2 sixes) and Sean Dickson contributed 11 off 10 (1 six), but the middle order crumbled. Scott Currie added 17 off 13 (2 fours, 1 six) in a late cameo, but Phoenix limped to 137 for 9 from their 100 balls.
Lockie Ferguson was the standout bowler, claiming 2/20 from 3.2 overs at an economy of 6.25. Marco Jansen took 2/21 from 3.2 overs, while Rachin Ravindra (1/22), Chris Woakes (1/34) and Samuel Cook (1/38) all chipped in.
Root Leads Welsh Fire to Comfortable Chase
Welsh Fire made light work of the target. Philip Salt opened with 46 off 36 balls (1 four, 4 sixes, strike rate 128) before falling LBW at 77/1 in the 10th over. But Joe Root took control from there, scoring an unbeaten 58 off 40 (7 fours, strike rate 145) to guide the chase home with 4 balls to spare.
Rachin Ravindra was caught LBW for 7 at 96/2 in the 13th over, and Jordan Cox was bowled for 20 off 14 (3 fours) at 132/3 in the 18th over. But Root’s composed batting and Tom Kohler-Cadmore‘s unbeaten 1 off 1 sealed the victory with ease.
Saqib Mahmood took 1/32 from 3.2 overs for Phoenix, while Chris Wood claimed 1/21 from 3.2 overs and Mitchell Owen took 1/9 from 0.5 overs. The damage was done early, however, and Welsh Fire’s chase was never in doubt.
Statz MVP: Joe Root (Statz Rating: 79.51)
Joe Root earns the Statz MVP award with a rating of 79.51. His unbeaten 58 off 40 balls at a strike rate of 145 was the decisive contribution in Welsh Fire’s chase, combining aggression with composure to steer his side home. Root’s performance was the standout display of the evening across all Hundred fixtures.
Top 5 Statz Ratings
- Joe Root (WF) – Statz Rating: 79.51 | 58 off 40 (SR 145, 7 fours) – Unbeaten match-winning knock in the chase.
- Joe Clarke (BP) – Statz Rating: 62.08 | 35 off 23 (SR 152, 4 fours, 2 sixes) – Bright spot in a struggling Phoenix innings.
- Lockie Ferguson (WF) – Statz Rating: 61.05 | 2/20 from 3.2 overs (economy 6.25) – Hostile spell that set the tone early.
- Philip Salt (WF) – Statz Rating: 57.51 | 46 off 36 (SR 128, 1 four, 4 sixes) – Aggressive start to the chase.
- Marco Jansen (WF) – Statz Rating: 54.27 | 2/21 from 3.2 overs – Economical and effective with the ball.
Turning Point
The match turned decisively in the first innings when Joe Clarke was caught for 35 at 70/3 in the 9th over. Clarke had been Phoenix’s only genuine threat, striking at 152, and his dismissal exposed a fragile middle order. From that point, Birmingham Phoenix never recovered, losing 6 wickets for just 67 runs to limp to 137. Welsh Fire’s bowlers, led by Ferguson and Jansen, had already done the damage.
Match Context
This was the 15th match of 34 in The Hundred 2026 regular season. Welsh Fire (4th, 2W 1L, 8pts) move to 2 wins from 3 matches and sit in the top four. Birmingham Phoenix (8th, 1W 2L, 4pts) remain winless at home with just 1 victory from 3 matches. Check the full scorecard and head-to-head record on Statz, and explore the Bet Builder for more insights on this fixture.
