Cricket Free Tips | The Hundred Men’s 2021, Match 18: Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles

Birmingham Phoenix will face Oval Invincibles in the Men’s Hundred 18th match. On Sunday afternoon in Birmingham, the hosts overcame Trent Rockets after a string of defeats for the first time. On Monday evening, Oval Invincibles defeated Welsh Fire by 6 wickets with 7 balls remaining for their second tournament win.

In the Men’s Hundred, Birmingham Phoenix has won both of their home games and will play in front of a raucous Edgbaston crowd once more. They are a force with the top four batters fired and Adam Milne providing with the ball. The Oval Invincibles have yet to win away from the Kia Oval, but they put a great effort on Monday with bat and ball. 

Weather
Partly cloudy skies will prevail, with a minor possibility of precipitation. Temperatures will likely range from 13 to 21°C.

Pitch
In the early stages of the innings, the cloudy circumstances should help the fast bowlers generate some swing. The spinners may not receive any further help from the surface. Overall, it’s a solid wicket to bat on, although batters must navigate the swing cautiously in the first few minutes. The average score on this ground is 145, so the team that wins the toss may choose to field first.

Probable Playing XIs
Birmingham Phoenix:
Moeen Ali (c), Chris Benjamin (wk), Will Smeed, Finn Allen, Liam Livingstone, Miles Hammond, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Patrick Brown, Tom Helm, Imran Tahir
Oval Invincibles:
Sam Billings (c&wk), Will Jacks, Jason Roy, Sunil Narine, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tom Curran, Jordan Clark, Colin Ingram, Laurie Evans, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood

Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles – Match 18, Dream 11:
Liam Livingstone(c), Sam Billings (wk), Jason Roy, Fabian Allen, Miles Hammond, Moeen Ali, Will Jacks, Adam Milne Tom Curran, Tom Helm, Saqib Mahmood

Prediction
Match winner

• Birmingham Phoenix

Winning the toss

• Birmingham Phoenix

Top Batsman

• Birmingham Phoenix – Liam Livingstone
• Oval Invincibles – Jason Roy

Top Bowler

• Birmingham Phoenix – 
• Oval Invincibles – Saqib Mahmood

Most Sixes 

• Birmingham Phoenix – Liam Livingstone
• Oval Invincibles – Jason Roy

Player of the Match

• Birmingham Phoenix – Liam Livingstone

Team Scores Batting First 

• Birmingham Phoenix – 140
• Oval Invincibles – 135+

Both teams’ records point to a comfortable home victory, with the Oval Invincibles yet to win on the road. They are a strong team that is only one point behind the group leader. We expect Birmingham Phoenix to win again at home, albeit by a small margin. Let’s enjoy your favourite cricket with Baji now!