MI London’s title defence ends in narrow defeat despite victory over Birmingham Phoenix
Sky Sports reports that MI London’s hopes of a fourth consecutive men’s title have been extinguished after a two-run win over bottom-placed Birmingham Phoenix proved insufficient for qualification.
MI London’s campaign in the men’s The Hundred has concluded despite securing a victory in their final group match against Birmingham Phoenix. The reigning champions, who have held the title for the past three years, required a win margin of 59 runs or more to secure third place and advance to the eliminator on their home ground at Edgbaston.
Phoenix chased down a target of 99 to win by two runs, ending MI London’s bid for a fourth straight title. The result confirms that SunRisers Leeds will face Manchester Super Giants in the eliminator at The Kia Oval, with the winner advancing to the final at Lord’s.
MI London’s innings was anchored by Nicholas Pooran’s 36 and James Vince’s 22, but their total of 157-6 proved inadequate. Although Sikandar Raza and Richard Gleeson took early wickets, a partnership between Jake Weatherley and Sean Dickson steadied the visitors. Trent Boult sealed the victory for Phoenix with late yorkers, despite Jordan Thompson and Rehan Ahmed bringing the chase within reach.
Gleeson described the outcome as disappointing, noting that winning five games without qualifying highlights the competition's depth. He emphasised that margins of 30 to 50 runs are critical in a tightly contested tournament where multiple teams finished with identical records.
In other matches, Welsh Fire defeated London Spirit by six runs in Cardiff, but both teams were eliminated from contention for the final stages. Welsh Fire’s Chris Woakes and Marco Jansen provided key bowling figures as they defended a modest total, while London Spirit’s top scorers Liam Livingstone and Dewald Brevis failed to capitalise on early momentum.
Sky Sports holds the broadcast rights for the upcoming eliminators and finals, which will be streamed on NOW. The competition’s structure saw three teams finish with five wins, but only two could progress, underscoring the narrow margins that defined the group stage.
