MATCH REPORT
Follow UsSouthern Brave clinched in the inaugural Hundred Men's title on Saturday by beating Birmingham Phoenix by 32 runs in the final at Lord's, thanks to scintillating batting efforts from Paul Stirling and Ross Whiteley.
Birmingham Phoenix captain Moeen Ali won the toss and elected to field. His decision seemed worked until the 15th ball when in-form pacer Adam Milne dismissed Quinton de Kock for a score of 7. Stirling at the other end began attacking every bowler as he clubbed six monstrous sixes and two fours in his 36-ball 61. Imran Tahir dismissed Brave's skipper James Vince cheaply, but suffered against Stirling. Benny Howell brought an end to the Irishman's rampage when he dismissed him for a keeper catch off the 61st ball, while Liam Livingstone sent back Tim David nine balls later.
Whiteley then shouldered the batting responsibility as he smashed four fours and as many sixes in his 19-ball 44 to take the score past 150. Ali was forced to bring back Milne for his final five balls which got Phoenix the wicket of Tim David but the damage was done as Brave ended at 168/5 in 100 balls. Milne was class apart from all his teammates as he bowled 14 dot balls off his 20 and conceded just eight runs while claiming two wickets.
Chasing a big total, Phoenix lost opener David Bedingham for a duck off the second ball and Will Smeed was back in the pavilion after scoring two runs off six balls. Skipper Ali was joined by Livingstone as the pair added 56 off just 26 balls. Livingstone was brutal in his 19-ball 46 launching four massive sixes and as many boundaries. Tim David ran him out off the 45th ball while Tymal Mills got the wicket of Miles Hammond nine balls later. Phoenix's chances looked slim when Ali (36 off 30 balls) was dismissed off the 66th ball by Jake Lintott. Chris Benjamin (23 not out off 25 balls) and Benny Howell (20 not out off 14 balls) put on a fight but Mills (11 dot balls) contained the run flow at the end to seal an emphatic 32-run win for the Brave.
Stirling was awarded Player of the Match, while Livingstone, who was the top run-getter with 348 runs from nine matches, won Player of the Tournament.
