Milne, Smith combine to crush London Spirit
Smith's fifty sets 186 target, Milne ends chase before it begins with devastating early burst
ECB Reporters Network
24-Aug-2023
Adam Milne celebrates taking the wicket of Matthew Wade • PA Images via Getty Images
Birmingham Phoenix 185 for 5 (Smith 52, Duckett 47) beat London Spirit 108 (Mitchell 57, Milne 4-20, Sangha 3-15) by 77 runs
Birmingham Phoenix blazed belatedly into form in the Men's Hundred, signing off their campaign with a 77-run win over London Spirit at Edgbaston.
Phoenix at last delivered the collective batting power display which has eluded them until the last game, piling up 185 for 5, led by Jamie Smith's 52 off 31 balls and Ben Duckett with 47 from 33.
Spirit were then sentenced to their fifth defeat of a disappointing campaign by a sensational opening burst from Adam Milne. The Black Caps quick took 3 for 2 with his first nine balls on his way to figures of 4 for 20 and Tanveer Sangha added 3 for 15 as Spirit folded for 108 all out in 89 balls.
Phoenix's victory prevented them ending up with the wooden spoon which now rests with Northern Superchargers.
After choosing to field, Spirit took a wicket first ball when Will Smeed chopped Tim Southee to short third, but their next successes were long coming. Smith and Duckett added 94 in 54 balls and then Duckett and Moeen Ali crashed 51 in 21.
Smith timed the ball beautifully in a 30-ball half-century while Moeen smote four sixes in a violent cameo before sending up a skier off the steady Southee. Moeen departed with just 88 runs in six innings in this year's Hundred behind him.
Four balls later, Duckett top-edged a simple catch to wicketkeeper Matthew Wade but less enjoyable for Southee, who ended with 3 for 23, was the sight of Benny Howell planting him miles over mid-wicket. Howell's ten-ball 23 rounded off Phoenix's best batting display of the tournament.
Milne then delivered a brilliant opening burst in which he removed Zak Crawley, played on, Michael Pepper, caught behind, and Wade, bowled by a beauty. Nine balls into their reply, Spirit were broken.
Milne added a fourth victim when Dan Lawrence chipped to mid on. Daniel Bell-Drummond made it into double figures, the only top-five batter to do so, but then charged at Sangha and missed.
Daryl Mitchell averted total embarrassment for his side with a beefy 57 off 35 balls but the fact that nine Spirit batters scored 22 between them said everything about their feeble display.