The Hundred Preview | Birmingham Phoenix chase elusive title as they start campaign against Trent Rockets

‌Birmingham Phoenix will aim to get the monkey off their backs when they start a new season of The Hundred Men’s Competition on Friday. They will meet Trent Rockets at Edgbaston in Birmingham in their first match of the 2025 edition. The Liam Livingstone-led side has Jacob Bethell and Ben Duckett at the top of the order, with the New Zealand trio of Trent Boult, Adam Milne, and Tim Southee helming the pace bowling unit.

The Birmingham-based side reached the final of the inaugural edition of the competition in 2021 before tapering off to finish outside playoff contention in the next two. They bounced back in the last season yet again to finish second in the points table before bowing out in the Eliminator contest with Southern Brave beating them in the knockouts in both seasons.

Meanwhile, Trent Rockets won the second edition of the competition in 2022 after beating Manchester Originals in a low-scoring thriller in the final. However, they have gone down the pecking order after that win, finishing fifth in the next two years. Joe Root, Lockie Ferguson, Marcus Stoinis and David Willey are some of the stars who are expected to take field for the Rockets.

England opener Duckett was Phoenix’s top-scorer, second overall, in the last season of the Hundred with 269 runs from seven matches at an impressive average of 67.25 and a strike rate of 171.33. For the Rockets, wicketkeeper-batter Tom Banton topped the run charts last season, accumulating 211 runs in eight matches at a strike rate of 148.59.

On the bowling front, Southee had the most wickets for Birmingham with 14 wickets from nine games at an economy of 6.81 and a strike rate of 12.14. Leg Spinner Rashid Khan was the highest wicket-taker for the Rockets, alongside Sam Cook, with nine scalps in five games.

Form Guide

BP Form: WWWWL

TR Form: LWLLW

BP vs TR head-to-head in The Hundred

Birmingham Phoenix have dominated Trent Rockets in the head-to-head duel in The Hundred with five wins in eight games. The Rockets have two wins, with one game being abandoned without a result.

BP 5 - 2 TR

Pitch and Conditions

The Edgbaston pitch is expected to be flat and full of runs, with initial support to the pacers with the new ball. The surface gets better to bat on as the game progresses, with three of the four matches last season being won by the chasing team.

It will be a cool and clear evening in Birmingham with temperatures ranging from 12 to 15 degrees. The fans are expected to get interrupted action with chances of rain placed only at 2%.

Team News

Ben Duckett and Jacob Bethell are expected to open the batting for Phoenix with captain Liam Livingstone in the middle order, while Southee and Boult will join hands again in the pace department. For the Rockets, Banton is expected to open the innings with Joe Root and Marcus Stoinis adding depth and power in the middle.

BP Expected XI

Ben Duckett, Jacob Bethell, Aneurin Donald, Liam Livingstone (c), Joe Clark (wk), Louis Kimber, Dan Mousley, Benny Howell, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, Adam Milne

TR Expected XI

Joe Root, Tom Banton (wk), Adam Hose, Sam Hain, Tom Alsop, Marcus Stoinis, George Linde, Rehan Ahmed, Sam Cook, David Willey, Lockie Ferguson

Broadcasting Platforms 

The Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets match in The Hundred will be digitally streamed on the FanCode and SonyLiv apps and websites in India from 11:00 PM IST on Friday. The live telecast of the match will also be available on the Sony Sports Network.