MI London concluded their Men’s Hundred 2026 campaign with a narrow two-run victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston, yet the win was not enough to secure a spot in the Eliminator. Despite finishing level on points with both the Manchester Super Giants and Sunrisers Leeds, MI London’s inferior net run-rate saw them finish fourth in the standings. The Sunrisers claimed the final playoff berth after the Super Giants had already qualified earlier in the day following a defeat for the Welsh Fire against the London Spirit.
To surpass the Sunrisers on net run-rate, MI London needed to restrict Birmingham Phoenix to 98 runs or fewer. The visitors made a promising start by reducing Phoenix to 23/3. Sikandar Raza claimed the wicket of Joe Clarke, while Richard Gleeson struck twice in consecutive deliveries, dismissing Mitchell Owen and Laurie Evans. However, Joe Weatherley’s 42 off 31 balls anchored a 58-run partnership with Sean Dickson, effectively ending MI London’s hopes of reaching the required threshold.
Although Phoenix surpassed the 98-run mark, the match remained competitive. Sam Curran dismissed Dickson, but a dropped catch by Will Jacks off Tom Curran’s bowling gave Jordan Thompson a reprieve. With 32 runs needed from the final 12 balls, Rehan Ahmed and Thompson kept the pressure on, narrowing the target to 13 from five deliveries. Despite a fumble by Nicholas Pooran on a wide, Trent Boult held his nerve in the final over, delivering precise yorkers to secure a consolation win for MI London.
Batting first, MI London posted 157/6. Despite losing Will Jacks for 11, the team managed 48 runs during the Powerplay. James Vince provided early momentum before being bowled by a slower ball from Tom Helm, and Sam Curran fell shortly after for a duck. Nicholas Pooran top-scored with 36, while Jason Roy contributed 26 and Sikandar Raza added 17. A vital unbeaten 33-run partnership off 16 balls between Ollie Sykes and Tom Curran ensured a competitive total as Helm faced significant pressure in the final overs.
The result marked a seventh consecutive defeat for Birmingham Phoenix, who finished at the bottom of the table. For MI London, the victory provided a positive end to their season, even as they missed out on the knockout stages. Brief Scores: MI London 157/6 in 100 balls (Nicholas Pooran 36, Jason Roy 26; Rehan Ahmed 2-7, Chris Wood 2-28) beat Birmingham Phoenix 155/7 in 100 balls (Joe Weatherley 42, Jordan Thompson 23*; Richard Gleeson 2-29, Sam Curran 2-37) by 2 runs.
MI London scripted a thrilling two-run win over Birmingham Phoenix in their final league fixture of the Men’s Hundred 2026 at Edgbaston, but it wasn’t enough to avert elimination as they ended their campaign in fourth po
Their best bet was to bowl Phoenix out and at 23/3, they stood a decent chance.
But Joe Weatherley (42 off 31) put paid to those hopes as he led Phoenix’s recovery, sharing a stand of 58 with Sean Dickson.
Phoenix soon got past the mark of 98 that ended MI London’s campaign but there was a contest still to be won.
Ferreira and Weatherley fell in quick succession, and the visitors should’ve nipped Jordan Thompson in the bud too, except for Will Jacks dropping a sitter at long off.
Phoenix needed 32 off 12 at one stage but Rehan Ahmed and Thompson picked out the boundaries to bring it down to 13 needed off 5.
Rehan then walked across and picked up a Boult delivery over fine leg before it was followed by a wide which Nicholas Pooran fumbled.
With 5 needed off 4, it was Phoenix’s game to lose.
MI London managed 48 in that phase, although they found themselves in a spot of bother once Sam Curran departed for a duck soon after.
Despite the visitors slowing down to 67 at the halfway mark, Pooran kept them going until he miscued one to long on for 36.
