Southern Brave beat Phoenix to climb off Hundred table foot
Southern Brave claimed their first men's win of The Hundred 2026 on 30 July, beating Birmingham Phoenix by 12 runs at the Utilita Bowl to leapfrog them off the foot of the table and into seventh on net run rate after defending 128 with Marcus Stoinis top-scoring on 34. For Southampton fans scanning beyond the southern daily echo beat, Luke Wood's final-set wickets closed out Phoenix on 116-9.
Key Takeaways
- Southern Brave men beat Birmingham Phoenix by 12 runs for their first win of The Hundred 2026.
- Brave posted 128-8; Phoenix finished on 116-9 at the Utilita Bowl.
- Luke Wood took 3-24, including back-to-back wickets when 14 were needed.
- The win lifted Brave into seventh, leapfrogging Phoenix off the bottom on net run rate.
- Earlier, Brave women made it four from four with a 24-run win over Phoenix.
How did Southern Brave seal their first win?
Put into bat, Brave stuttered early when Jamie Smith fell after seven balls. Ben McKinney (18), Tom Abell (22), Stoinis (34) and David Miller (24) all contributed without a partnership larger than 33. Rehan Ahmed led Phoenix with 3-25 as Brave lost four middle-order wickets for 12 runs late on. A five-ball 10 from Wood at number 10 helped push the total to 128-8.
Chasing 129, Will Smeed top-scored with 35 before Wood dismissed him. Stoinis took 2-16, removing Joe Clarke and Laurie Evans, while Adil Rashid (1-18) and Jofra Archer (1-21) kept things tight.
With Phoenix needing 14 off the final set, Wood had Ben Dwarshuis and Scott Currie caught off the first two balls. Saqib Mahmood was then run out by Rashid's direct hit, and Brave conceded just one single from the next two deliveries as Phoenix closed on 116-9.
Where does the result leave the Hundred table?
According to BBC Sport, the victory lets Brave leapfrog Phoenix and rise off the bottom into seventh on net run rate. It ends a winless start for the hosts after early-season pressure heading into the Southampton double-header.
The same-day women's match told a different story at the top. Southern Brave women beat Phoenix by 24 runs—140 for 3 against 116 for 5—to make it four wins from four, with Maia Bouchier (45) and Lizelle Lee (43) leading the way and Davina Perrin (52) top-scoring in a failed chase.
Why does this Southampton result matter now?
A first men's win changes the tone for Brave after a winless start, while Phoenix stay near the floor after another defeat. For more odd-angle sports and viral briefings, see our Bizarre News & Florida Man hub.
Friday's Hundred slate continues elsewhere, with Manchester Super Giants facing Trent Rockets in both competitions, but Southampton's Thursday double-header already delivered a table shake-up for the men's Brave.