In a strange twist of events, the visiting Trent Rockets men’s squad defeated the Manchester Originals by one run just hours after the women’s Rockets fell in the early game to the same fate. Now undefeated, the Rockets look to distance themselves further from the rest of The Hundred squads. Their upcoming Birmingham Phoenix opponents are not far behind, however. Splitting their season at 1-1, a win over the Rockets propels them up the ladder and closer to first place.
Game Time Information
The Trent Rockets get their first home game of the season on Wednesday, July 31, when Birmingham travels to the Trent Bridge Cricket Grounds in Nottinghamshire. The match will follow the women’s contest between the same two teams. The official start time is 1:30 PM ET and 6:30 PM local British time. Expect clear skies with no chance of rain. This is the third away game for the Birmingham Phoenix.
Trent is tied for first place with the Oval Invincibles in the eight-team league. A win at home sits them alone at the top spot. Birmingham currently ranks below the Southern Brave and Welsh with an NRR (Net Run Rate) of -0.981. A victory moves them to 2-1 and in a tie with the first-place Trent Rockets. A fresh pitch awaits both squads in this first match on the Trent Bridge Grounds.
Trent Rockets vs. Birmingham Phoenix Fantasy Report
Predicted Playing XI
Trent Rockets:
Adam Lyth, Tom Banton (wicketkeeper), Alex Hales, Sam Hain, Rovman Powell, Imad Wasim, Rashid Khan, Jordan Thompson, Lewis Gregory (captain), Luke Wood, Sam Cook.
Birmingham Phoenix:
Rishi Patel, Aneurin Donald (wicketkeeper), Liam Livingstone, Dan Mousley, Moeen Ali (captain), Jacob Bethell, Benny Howell, James Fuller, Sean Abbott, Adam Milne, Tim Southee.
Pitch Report
According to pitch report statistics, Trent Bridge favors batters historically. The recent West Indies Test series against England saw the home team score 416 in their first innings, and the visiting Windies rake in 457 runs. Look to see the team that wins the toss to bat first and build toward a high run chase.
Betting Odds
Trent is predicted to win this matchup with a 55% Win Probability against 45% for the Phoenix. Payouts for the Rockets stand at 1.72, with Birmingham payouts at 2.09. The Trent Rockets have a slight edge, but this could go either way. Birmingham has an outstanding bowling arsenal, and a few early wickets might shift things quickly. But the Trent Rockets are at home with a 2-0 away record, which should give them the edge in this match.
Player Picks
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Top Batters
Trent Rockets wicketkeeper Tom Banton leads all batters this Hundred season with 111 runs in two games. Unless the Nelson superstition holds, he is also expected to lead all batters in run-scoring in this game. With 65 runs scored in his opener and five runs short of a half-century in the follow-up, Tom Banton is the number one player to watch this season. Teamed with batters Sam Hain and Alex Hales, Banton and the Rockets are a blowout victory waiting to happen.
Birmingham Phoenix had a dismal 2024 debut going all-out for just 89 runs. But they bounced back with a decent showing against Andre Russell and the London Spirit. Batting sensation Liam Livingstone and team captain Moeen Ali have yet to catch fire. Still, when they do, other teams beware. Jacob Bethell and opener Rishi Patel will make great additions once the Phoenix starts firing on all cylinders.
Top Bowlers
Whatever team Rashid Khan is on is guaranteed a bowling edge. Coming fresh off his time in the United States Major League Cricket tournament, Rashid Khan flew from Texas to play for Trent, picking up right where he left off by taking two wickets in his first game. But he has fierce competition on the other end in Birmingham stars Sean Abbot and Tim Southee. New Zealand legend Southee took two wickets in the Phoenix opener. And Abbott snatched a league-high four wickets against the London Spirit.
Fantasy 11 Squad
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Captains
- Rashid Khan (captain)
- Sean Abbott (vice-captain)
Batters
- Alex Hales (Trent)
- Sam Hain (Trent)
- Liam Livingstone (Birmingham)
Wicketkeeper
- Tom Banton (Trent)
Bowlers
- Tim Southee (Birmingham)
- Benny Howell (Birmingham)
All-Rounders
- Rovman Powell (Trent)
- Dan Mousley (Birmingham)
- Sam Hain (Trent)
Conclusion
The last women’s and men’s doubleheader ended with two games decided by one ball. Although predictions for the Trent Rockets Women and Birmingham Phoenix Women matchup look for an easy Trent win, this men’s match should deliver on excitement. Whoever wins the coin toss controls the game. Between a heated season of The Hundred and the India tour of Sri Lanka, this is a hot late summer for cricket.
