That's it for the coverage of tonight's cricket. Do join me us and for the live-coverage of all cricketing action, scheduled for tomorrow, starting from the INDvsENG Test to the TNPL clash to the two Hundred games. This was me, Arjun Bhalla alongside Anurag Singh and Arijit Kundu. Merci beaucoup!
Moeen Ali: It was a really good pitch to bat on and I just wanted the guys to take confidence from the previous game. We have found some gems, Benjy (Benjamin) looks like a proper finisher. I enjoyed myself, targeted the short boundary and we wanted to keep up the tempo because there was some rain, and we knew Duckworth-Lewis could be a factor. I want the guys to express themselves, if they are going well, just keep it going. He (Benjamin) looks like he has an all-round game and has a terrific passion for the game. I only bowled five deliveries because once Roy hit me for that six, I realised that it's a good pitch and doesn't have much spin at all. With the crowd on your back, we just back ourselves to do the job.
Chris Benjamin: It's always special to be in front of a full house. Special win tonight. It's been very exciting. It helped that Smeed got us off to the start and then Moeen in the middle for me to finish it at the end. We're just focusing game by game and the rest will take care of itself.
Hero of the Match goes to Chris Benjamin who scored a power-pact 37*, including five fours and a maximum.
Time for the presentation ceremony.
Arjun: Soon Mo Ali was perished by a Mahmood delivery, just one run shy of his half-century. But the Phoenix batters didn’t let the beat drop, even for a second. Chris Benjamin played a powerful hand as he ended the night with an unbeaten 37 by finishing off the game with a six and then a four. In the end, Phoenix chased a “not-so-mammoth” total of 173 runs with 6 balls to spare.
Arjun: Both Moeen and Smeed were dropped in their innings, and like every big player, the duo capitalised on it. When the youngster’s entertaining knock of 45 ended, the skipper took the responsibility on his shoulders. He went behind each and every bowler, however, his best of the night came when Ali bashed three consecutive maximums, two of which were against Tom Curran and one was off Narine.
Arjun: The Kiwi smashed five boundaries in his small 9-ball innings of 23 runs, before he was sent packing by Narine. Everyone would have placed their money on Livingstone, but the ball-murderer was undone, just after he hammered a maximum. Moeen Ali was the heartthrob for Phoenix in the chase and he was partnered by a young Smeed. They shared a 30-ball 54 stand that made sure the home team couldn't lose the game.
Arjun: Yeah right, Oval Invincibles posted a mammoth total (I don’t know if it was mammoth or not). Any side would be under the pump, when they would be asked to chase a total of 173 runs, but Birmingham Phoenix does not fall under that category. To start the act in the response, skipper Moeen sent Finn Allen and Will Smeed with just one order and that order was to attack.