Birmingham Phoenix vs Oval Invincibles, HMC2023, Today Match Prediction 13 August 2023

BRM vs OVL Match Prediction & Analysis

We are into the second half of the men’s Hundred 2023, and Birmingham Phoenix are still stuck at the bottom of the points table. They have four games remaining to turn their fortunes around, the first of which is this Sunday against Oval Invincibles at Edgbaston. The Invincibles are sitting pretty at the top of the table with 3 wins from 4 matches and 7 points in the bag. 

RECENT PERFORMANCE

BRM

L L

BRM

112/7 in 20.0 5.6

HMC2023

Welsh Fire beat Birmingham Phoenix by 6 wickets 10 Aug 2023

WEF

116/4 in 17.0 6.82

MCR

160/8 in 20.0 8

HMC2023

07 Aug 2023

BRM

111/10 in 19.3 5.75

OVL

W W W

NORS

176/8 in 20.0 8.8

HMC2023

Oval Invincibles beat Northern Superchargers by 9 runs 11 Aug 2023

OVL

185/5 in 20.0 9.25

OVL

186/5 in 20.0 9.3

HMC2023

Oval Invincibles Won by 94 runs 09 Aug 2023

MCR

92/10 in 17.4 5.29

LDN

131/10 in 20.0 6.55

HMC2023

02 Aug 2023

OVL

132/7 in 19.4 6.8

HEAD TO HEAD

TEAMS PREVIEW

Birmingham Phoenix Preview

Birmingham Phoenix are coming off a 6-wicket loss to Welsh Fire. After opting to bat first at Edgbaston, they could only post 112-7 on the board. In response, Welsh Fire got to the target in just 85 balls. Birmingham was led down by their batting again, with Liam Livingstone’s 28 off 20 deliveries being the top score of the innings. 

Livingstone is now the team’s second-highest scorer of the season with 55 runs in 2 innings at a strike rate of 122.  Opener Ben Duckett tops the batting charts for Birmingham this year with 69 runs in 3 innings at 133.

Captain Moeen Ali hasn’t really gotten going so far, but he is one of those who can quickly change the complexion of a game with a few lusty hits. We are backing the stylish left-handed batter to deliver a quick cameo in this match.

On the bowling front, only right-arm pacer Benny Howell (5 wickets in 3 innings at an economy of 5.55) has stood out. The others, barring Moeen with his off-spin, have been leaking runs regularly, with Adam Milne and Tom Helm both going at an economy of over 11.

Birmingham Phoenix Predicted Playing XI:

Will Smeed, Ben Duckett, Moeen Ali (c), Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith (wk), Dan Mousley, Shadab Khan, Benny Howell, Adam Milne, Tom Helm, Kane Richardson

Birmingham Phoenix Actual Playing XI:

Adam Milne, Benny Howell, Ben Duckett, Chris Benjamin, Dan Mousley, Will Smeed, Chris Woakes, Jamie Smith, Kane Richardson, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali

Oval Invincibles Preview

Oval Invincibles are on a roll. After defeating Manchester Originals by 94 runs, they clinched a thrilling 9-run win over Northern Superchargers. Sam Curran left a mark with his batting and bowling, while an in -form Jordan Cox scored a fantastic unbeaten 73 to take the team to the top of the table. Cox has taken his season’s tally to 163 runs after 4 matches at a strike rate of 148.

During the latter part of the game, Curran's performance stood out as he smashed 24 runs off just 12 balls, contributing to the league-leading Invincibles' strong total of 185 for 5. Following that, he took an impressive catch and secured a wicket to help restrict the Superchargers to 176-8.

Another player who made an impression was Heinrich Klaasen, with a brilliant 46 off 22 balls. Klaasen now has 125 runs this season at a remarkable strike rate of 184. The South African middle order batter is a true match-winner, and the team will be counting on him to continue his form.

Apart from Sam and Tom Curran, who have both taken 3 wickets each, Gus Atkinson has been the most consistent bowler for Oval this year, bagging 9 wickets in just 4 matches at an economy of 7.78. The Invincibles also have Sunil Narine to rely on. The crafty off-spinner has gone at an economy of just 6.88 while also taking 6 wickets. He will be the main threat for Birmingham’s batters during the middle overs. 

Oval Invincibles Predicted Playing XI:

Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Heinrich Klaasen, Sam Curran, Jordan Cox, Sam Billings (c & wk), Ross Whiteley, Sunil Narine, Gus Atkinson, Spencer Johnson, Nathan Sowter

Oval Invincibles Actual Playing XI:

Spencer Johnson, Heinrich Klaasen, Jordan Cox, Jason Roy, Nathan Sowter, Ross Whiteley, Sam Curran, Sam Billings, Sunil Narine, Will Jacks, Zak Chappell

PITCH AND WEATHER CONDITIONS

Weather Conditions

The pitch at Edgbaston in Birmingham for a T20 game is generally known to be a good batting surface with a balanced contest between bat and ball. However, the conditions during the match are expected to be cloudy, and there might be a few showers around too. The overhead conditions might help the seamers get more movement off the air. The pitch might also become a little slower because of the moisture. If the conditions are clear, batters can expect the ball to come onto the bat nicely, allowing for aggressive strokeplay and big hits.

BRM vs OVL Pitch Report

The average first innings score at Edgbaston in the men’s Hundred is 155, which comes down to 128 in the second innings. The highest total posted at the venue in the tournament is 184-5 by Birmingham Phoenix against Welsh Fire in 2021. The team batting first here must look to set a target of around 160–170 runs.

Toss: To Bowl

Birmingham usually favors the team batting second in this competition, as 5 of the 4 matches at this venue have been won by the chasing side. There’s also rain expected on Sunday in Birmingham, and the team winning the toss is hence likely to bat second. By batting second, they will have the advantage of knowing exactly what DLS target they will need to chase, allowing them to plan their innings accordingly.