The Hundred Men's Competition 2021 Final: Birmingham Phoenix vs Southern Brave - Preview, predicted XIs, match prediction, weather forecast and pitch report

Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave will meet in the title clash of The Men’s Hundred 2021 at the iconic Lord’s in London on Saturday.

Birmingham Phoenix were the first team to qualify for the playoffs. They have been in incredible form throughout the tournament. Phoenix finished as table-toppers with six wins and 12 points. Courtesy Finn Allen and stand-in captain Liam Livingstone, they scripted a remarkable chase in their final league game over the Northern Superchargers. As a result, they gained direct qualification for the final.

Southern Brave, on the other hand, finished second with five wins and 11 points. They beat Trent Rockets comfortably by seven wickets in the Eliminator to make the final. Brave bowled well to restrict the Rockets to a paltry 96 and then chased it down comfortably.

They have now won four games in a row, making a brilliant comeback at the business end. As both sides battle it out in the all-important final, a high-quality clash seems to be on the cards.

Match Details

Match: Birmingham Phoenix vs Southern Brave, The Hundred Men 2021

Date: August 21, 2021 (Saturday)

Time: 11:00 PM (IST)

Venue: Lord’s, London

Weather Report

Lord’s is expected to have cloud cover during the course of the game. There is a prediction of light showers and there may be interruptions. However, we would expect rain not to play a major spoilsport during the final. The temperature will hover between 17 and 19 degrees Celsius.

Pitch Report

There haven’t been a lot of high scoring games at Lord’s in The Hundred thus far. In the previous game at this venue, the Superchargers posted a total of 155, which they easily defended. Overcast conditions will help the bowlers early on and batting may not be as easy. Runs on the board will be crucial in a big game like the final. So the team winning the toss would look to bowl first. A total in the 150-160 range should be ideal and challenging.

Predicted Playing XIs

Birmingham Phoenix

Liam Livingstone was the star of the show for Phoenix in their previous game. Not only did he pick up three wickets, but also slammed an unbeaten 92 to take his team into the final. Phoenix will suffer quite a blow with Finn Allen set to leave for national duty. He scored a vital 42 last time out. David Bedingham is likely to replace Allen in the XI.

However, regular captain Moeen Ali is back to lead the side in the final, which is a huge boost for Phoenix. Adam Milne, Imran Tahir, Benny Howell and Livingstone will hold the key to their bowling attack.

Predicted XI: David Bedingham/Tom Abell, Will Smeed, Liam Livingstone, Miles Hammond, Chris Benjamin (wk), Moeen Ali (c), Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Dillon Pennington, Pat Brown, Imran Tahir.

Southern Brave

Skipper James Vince (45*) and Paul Stirling (31), led Brave in what was a relatively easy run-chase against the Rockets. Quinton de Kock did not have a good outing and he will have to fire at the top. The Brave put up a brilliant show with the ball.

George Garton and Tymal Mills picked up three wickets apiece while Overton and Chris Jordan bagged two each. They were exceptional as a unit and will look to carry momentum from their all-round performance.

Predicted XI: Paul Stirling, Quinton de Kock (wk), James Vince (c), Alex Davies, Tim David, Ross Whiteley, George Garton, Chris Jordan, Craig Overton, Tymal Mills, Jake Lintott.

Match Prediction

Birmingham Phoenix are on a five-match winning streak coming into the final of The Hundred. They have been the most dominant side and are favorites to claim the title. However, Southern Brave have also done well coming into the final. They will look to take advantage of their recent performance. This should definitely be an interesting and even contest between Brave and Phoenix.