Birmingham Phoenix scripted a remarkable turnaround in The Hundred 2025, defeating Oval Invincibles by four wickets in a high-pressure chase at Edgbaston. Liam Livingstone’s explosive late assault on Rashid Khan flipped the game on its head and secured Phoenix’s first win of the campaign.
With 61 runs still required off 25 balls, Phoenix faced a daunting task. Oval Invincibles turned to Rashid Khan, known for his match-closing skills. However, Livingstone launched an incredible attack, smashing three sixes and two fours in one set to take 26 runs. This over became the most expensive in The Hundred and marked Rashid’s most costly T20 spell—0 for 59 in 20 balls—surpassing his previous worst of 55 runs in the 2018 IPL.
Livingstone Turns the Game in Phoenix’s Favour
That single over reduced the target to 35 from 20 balls and shifted momentum decisively. Livingstone remained unbeaten on 69 from just 27 deliveries, hammering five sixes and playing with composure under pressure.
“We needed it, it’s been a bit of a disappointing start to the tournament,” Livingstone said. “It’s nice to lead from the front and hopefully that gives the boys a bit of momentum and a bit of confidence.”
He added, “I was trying to be there at the end, it’s something I haven’t done a lot of in my career, so it was in the back of my mind, but we still needed to take some risks. It’s an incredible win from where we were.”
Ferreira Fires for Invincibles in First Innings
Batting first, Oval Invincibles lost early wickets and slipped to 34 for 3 inside the powerplay. Jordan Cox and Sam Billings tried to rebuild, but the innings changed gears when Donovan Ferreira arrived. The South African struck 63 off 29 balls, finding the boundary at will and reaching fifty in 24 deliveries. Rashid Khan added 16 from six balls, while a costly 25-run penultimate set from Dan Mousley pushed the score to 180 for 8.
Late Drama Before Phoenix Seal the Win
Phoenix’s chase began slowly, losing Ben Duckett early before Will Smeed’s quick-fire 51 steadied things. Smeed’s dismissal brought a mini-collapse, but Livingstone’s assault reignited hopes.
With three runs required from five balls, Saqib Mahmood dismissed Dan Mousley and Louis Kimber in successive deliveries, raising tension in the ground. Benny Howell then drove the next ball through covers to complete a thrilling win.
Livingstone’s match-winning knock earned him the Meerkat Match Hero award and lifted Phoenix off the bottom of the table, breathing new life into their season.
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