Birmingham Phoenix 111 (Livingstone 27, Hartley 3-13, Little 2-15, Mir 2-27) was defeated by Manchester Originals 160 for 8 (Buttler 43, Mir 32*, Howell 3-21) by 49 runs.
In tonight’s men’s Hundred match at Emirates Old Trafford, Pakistani leg-spinner Usama Mir eclipsed a number of English stars with a quick-fire unbeaten 32 and two wickets to lead Manchester Originals to a remarkable 49-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix.
Phoenix, led by Ashes returnee Moeen Ali, fell to 111 all out after making 160 for 8.
Mir gave Manchester a boost from position eight with a clever 14-ball assault, and the last year’s finalists earned their first victory following an early loss and a tie. Mir finished with 2 for 27 from 20 balls.
Moeen did not bowl but did make one off of two balls. Jos Buttler, the captain of England’s white-ball team, was unfortunately run out for 43 by him after taking a direct hit from cover at the non-striker’s end. Whether Buttler had grounded his bat beyond the line prior to it bouncing up was not obvious.
England’s fringe quick with limited overs In addition, Richard Gleeson took 2 for 22, including an outright dismissal of Moeen, as he bowled in a game for the first time after having wrist surgery in January.
After two unsuccessful matches, this was Birmingham’s first one that was finished.
Following Phil Salt’s early departure due to Adam Milne’s lbw, the Originals were only 26 for 1 after 25 balls after being introduced.
When the total reached 50, shrewd seamer Benny Howell struck again and finished the game with 3 for 21 on an old pitch. When Laurie Evans was caught at short fine leg ramping, Max Holden bowled a golden duck with a reverse sweep.
Buttler added four more boundaries to his previous scores of 37 not out and 62, extending his strong start to the contest.
But before Buttler left, Paul Walter was caught at short fine leg off Howell, bringing the total to 105 for 6 after 76 balls. Ashton Turner, for 21, was caught behind while attempting to deflect a wicked Tom Helm bouncer.
The game gained significant momentum when Mir scooped, ramped, and clobbered a six from Kane Richardson over midwicket. A useful 22 was also scored by Jamie Overton before he was run out, accounting for one of two late wickets.
After 14 balls, Phoenix’s pursuit had slid to 21 for 3. Before the former struck Moeen on the back pad with a blistering yorker, they lost openers Will Smeed and Ben Duckett to Gleeson and fellow quick Josh Little being caught at midwicket.
Jamie Smith and Liam Livingstone both blasted sixes to move on. The latter did so twice in two balls. But it was only a momentary break. Before Mir had Dan Mousley lbw, Smith was caught at long-on for 15 off Walter’s left-arm seam, leaving Phoenix with a mountain to climb at 64 for 5 after 47. Furthermore, the assignment was too big.
Shadab Khan, a fellow countryman, was caught by Mir at deep midwicket, and Tom Hartley, a teammate from Lancashire, caught and bowled Livingstone for an innings-high 27.
Ireland’s Little added a second wicket, and Hartley wrapped up the triumph with a late 3-for-13 total.
