The Hundred Men's Competition 2021 Match 23: Birmingham Phoenix vs. Welsh Fire - Preview, predicted XIs, match prediction, weather forecast and pitch report

In the 23rd game of the Hundred, the Birmingham Phoenix will lock horns with the Welsh Fire at Edgbaston in Birmingham. Both sides have had a contrasting journey in the competition so far.

Birmingham Phoenix has won their last two games, whereas the Fire has lost their last three games. Both have strong sides, and it promises to be a cracker of a contest. Birmingham Phoenix is placed in fourth position with six points to their name.

They have won three of their five games. Moeen Ali is leading from the front and will be looking to guide his team into the top four.

Phoenix's batting has been fantastic this season, with the likes of Finn Allen, Will Smeed, and Moeen Ali leading the charge with the bat. Hard-hitting all-rounder Liam Livingstone too, has chipped in as they are a side to look out for in the competition.

They chased down 173 with six balls to spare against the Oval Invincibles and will be looking to continue in the same way in the coming weeks.

Welsh Fire, on the other hand, is reeling in second last position in the points table. They have only managed to win two of their five games and have four points under their belt. They got off to a very good start in the competition but have lost three games on the trot.

The departure of Jonny Bairstow didn’t help their cause as they haven’t won a single game since. They are a batting-heavy side and are dependent on experienced players like Tom Banton, Ben Duckett, Glenn Phillips, and Jimmy Neesham.

They suffered a loss against the Trent Rockets in their previous game and need to turn the tables around quickly to stand any chance of qualifying for the finals.

Match Details

Match: Birmingham Phoenix vs. Welsh Fire, the Hundred 2021

Date and Time: August 9, 2021, Monday, 11:00 PM IST

Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham

Weather report

The weather in Birmingham on Monday is expected to be on the gloomy side. Temperatures will hover between 12 and 21 degrees Celsius.

There are chances of rain in the afternoon, but hopefully, the rain gods will stay away, and we will get a full game.

Pitch Report

The pitch at Edgbaston is a belter of a track. The batters enjoy playing on it as the ball comes nicely onto the bat. We saw in the last game the Phoenix side chased down 173 with six balls to spare.

Expect another high-scoring game when Welsh Fire faces Birmingham Phoenix.

Predicted Playing XIs

Birmingham Phoenix:

Birmingham Phoenix is on a roll in the competition. They have won their last two games and will be high in confidence. With the business end of the tournament approaching, don’t expect them to tinker with the winning combination.

Playing XI: Finn Allen, Will Smeed, Moeen Ali (c), Liam Livingstone, Miles Hammond, Chris Benjamin (wk), Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Tom Helm, Patrick Brown, Imran Tahir

Welsh Fire:

Welsh Fire have lost three games on the trot and need to get the right combination quickly to stay in contention for the finals.

Expect them to include Jake Ball in the XI for the game against Birmingham Phoenix. He will provide the much-needed experience to the bowling department.

Playing XI: Tom Banton (wk), Ian Cockbain, Ben Duckett (c), Glenn Phillips, Leus du Plooy, James Neesham, Luke Fletcher, Jake Ball, Qais Ahmad, Matt Milnes, David Payne

Match prediction

Both sides are strong on paper, and it will be a cracker of a contest. Birmingham Phoenix has the winning momentum behind them, whereas Welsh Fire hasn’t found the right combination yet.

It will be a test for the Fire to stop the upbeat Phoenix side.

The Birmingham Phoenix side hasn’t lost a game at home yet, and it will play a huge role for them. Expect them to come out on top against Welsh Fire.