3 player battles to watch out for in Birmingham Phoenix vs Southern Brave Men's Hundred Eliminator ft. James Vince vs Tim Southee
We are into the business end of the fourth season of the Men’s Hundred and it will be the Birmingham Phoenix who will fight it out against the Southern Brave in the eliminator clash later today (August 17). Unlike the rest of the T20 tournaments, only the top three teams have qualified for the playoffs.
It was the Birmingham Phoenix who managed to qualify for the last three by beating the Manchester Originals in a rain-curtailed game, which was reduced to a 30-ball affair. They were lucky enough to get through with a shortened affair but would look to come out all guns blazing in the eliminator clash.
The Phoenix won six out of their eight group league matches and looked one of the teams to beat. However, given how the tournament dynamics work, they still needed to win their final game to qualify for the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Southern Brave qualified as the third-placed team with five wins.
They were lucky to get away with a no result in their previous game against the Welsh Fire. Their bowling lineup looked a bit off-colour and ended up conceding 181 runs. When play was suspended due to rain, the Southern Braves were precariously placed at 21/2 after 16 deliveries.
Both teams have some massive names in their squad and this should be a battle to watch out for. With the game around three hours to commence, let us take a look at three player battles to watch out for in the eliminator clash.
#1 James Vince vs Tim Southee
Now this should be a mouth-watering contest between the top scorer of the tournament and one of the leading wicket-takers in this edition of the Hundred. Vince has scored 359 runs in the competition so far and has batting looked ridiculously easy even on conditions conducive for the fast bowlers.
He has scored four fifties in just eight matches and has been the lynchpin of the Southern Brave squad. Vince is someone who can mould his game according to the match situation and will look to make a significant impact in the eliminator clash. However he has to be up against Tim Southee who has been a revelation in this competition.
Southee has swung the new ball making this really difficult for the opposition batters. He has picked up 14 wickets in eight games at an incredible average of 12.50. What makes his contribution very special is the economy rate of seven in the 30 overs he has bowled. Vince will look to be careful, especially against the new ball.
#2 Ben Duckett vs Tymal Mills
Another spicy contest which should excite fans is the battle between Tymal Mills and Ben Duckett. Both these players have been instrumental in their team’s progress to the playoffs. Ben Duckett who has the ability to dismantle any bowling attack has been pretty consistent so far in the tournament.
He is the second-highest run-getter in the competition with 262 runs in 6 games at an average of 87.33. he has been proactive in the powerplay and has continued the great work all through the innings. Meanwhile Tymal Mills has been a wicket-taker for the Southern Braves.
He has picked 13 wickets in 8 games and will continue the good work in the must-win contest. Mills has a wide variety of deliveries up his sleeve. He can bowl three to four different slower deliveries and can crank up over 140 kph consistently which makes him a tough nut to crack. He can swing the new ball and will be eager to prize out Duckett early on.
#3 Kieron Pollard vs Adam Milne
Kieron Pollard might not have been at his best in the last few games but he is still someone who can consistently clear the boundary. Pollard smashed Rashid Khan for five consecutive sixes in one of the earlier games and will look to make an impact on the big day.
Pollard who comes out to bat in the middle order won't be tested too much against the spinners as Moeen Ali is aware of what he can do when on song. He might be tempted to bring Adam Milne into the attack when Pollard comes out to the crease.
Milne has bagged nine wickets in eight games so far and will look to make a big contribution in the must-win game. His battle against Pollard could well turn out to be a decisive factor in the match