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Two teams that have experienced contrasting starts to The Hundred Men's competition - the Manchester Originals and the Birmingham Phoenix - face off in Match 6 at Old Trafford on Sunday, July 25.
The Manchester Originals were seen in action during the opening day of The Hundred, when they took on the Oval Invincibles. The Invincibles set a daunting target of 146, which the Originals fell short of by nine runs. They are seventh in the points table with a net run rate of -0.45.
The Birmingham Phoenix, also chasing a similar target of 145, narrowly got over the line with three balls to spare and three wickets in hand against the London Spirit on the second matchday. They are third in the standings with a net run rate of 0.429.
While the Originals will look to get off the mark in The Hundred, the Phoenix will look to get to the top of the table by keeping their winning run going.
Manchester Originals vs Birmingham Phoenix Prediction: Who will win Match 6 of The Hundred Men's competition?
After Tom Hartley, Fred Klaassen and Steven Finn picked up a combined seven wickets to restrict the Oval Invincibles to 145, dismissing key batsmen like Jason Roy, Sam Curran and Colin Ingram, the Manchester Originals top order failed to deliver.
Opener Phil Salt, who turned out for England's second string against Pakistan earlier this month, was dismissed by Curran off the fifth ball of the innings. Captain Jos Buttler labored to 8 off 10 before Sunil Narine sent him back to the pavilion, following which the Originals never recovered. Colin Munro, Carlos Brathwaite and late replacement Calvin Harrison scored 86 runs between them to put up a fight, but it wasn't to be for the Originals.
The Birmingham Phoenix had a much more straightforward run-chase after Adam Milne, Tom Helm and Benny Howell picked up all six London Spirit wickets to fall. Openers Finn Allen and Miles Hammond were back in the hut after the first 20 balls, but Liam Livingstone and captain Moeen Ali kept their team in the hunt.
The Phoenix needed a potentially career-defining innings from Chris Benjamin to arrest the skyrocketing required run rate as Howell gave him company in the middle. Eventually, Milne hit the winning boundary off the first ball he faced, handing his team their first points of The Hundred.
While the Manchester Originals have exciting, world-class players in Buttler, Munro and Brathwaite, the Birmingham Phoenix are simply too stacked to ignore. Apart from the red-hot Livingstone, Allen, Ali and Benjamin add scary depth and firepower to the batting order. With bowlers like veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir and the exceptional Milne to support the batting, the Phoenix seem to have all bases covered.
The Originals still have the personnel to pull off a magical win, but the Phoenix can be backed to keep their perfect record in The Hundred intact.
Prediction: Birmingham Phoenix to win Match 6 of The Hundred Men's competition
