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The Birmingham Phoenix will want to bounce back after back-to-back defeats when they take on the Welsh Fire in The Hundred 2026 at Edgbaston Stadium on Saturday, August 1.
The Phoenix won their first game of the season against the Trent Rockets, before going down to the Manchester Super Giants and Southern Brave to find themselves at the foot of the standings. They also have the worst net run-rate in the tournament, that of -1.480. They will, therefore, need a huge win on Saturday to propel them up the table.
Predicted XI for the Birmingham Phoenix vs Welsh Fire:
Joe Clarke and Will Smeed have been a solid opening pair for the Birmingham Phoenix this season. The duo have scored 95 and 94 runs, respectively, from three matches at similar strike-rates of around 150. Rehan Ahmed, on the other hand, has established himself as a dependable number three this year, having scored at an average of 21.33 whilst striking at 152.38. The trio together form the backbone of the Phoenix’s batting order and the team will depend on them to come good against the Welsh Fire.
Birmingham Phoenix’s middle order has been a cause for concern this year with the small number of runs they have contributed. The team looks like they miss Jacob Bethell, who has been ruled out of The Hundred due to injury. Stand-in captain Donovan Ferreira has been underwhelming, having scored 46 runs from three matches at a strike-rate of just 124.32. Mitch Owen, meanwhile, had an excellent MLC in the United States but has failed to replicate the same form here in the United Kingdom.
Ahmed is currently the Birmingham Phoenix’s leading wicket-taker in this year’s The Hundred, with five scalps to his name. However, amongst the out-and-out bowlers, Australia’s Ben Dwarshuis, who came in as an injury replacement for Mustafizur Rahman, has taken four wickets at an economy rate of 8.30. Usman Tariq, on the other hand, has not lived up to his hype, registering just two dismissals from three matches at an economy of 8.94.
Birmingham Phoenix: Joe Clarke (WK), Will Smeed, Rehan Ahmed, Laurie Evans, Donovan Ferreira (C), Mitchell Owen, Sean Dickson, Ben Dwarshuis, Scott Currie, Saqib Mahmood, Usman Tariq
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When and where will the Birmingham Phoenix vs Welsh Fire match be played?
The match will take place on August 1, 2026, at Edgbaston Stadium in Birmingham, starting at 7:00 PM (IST).
Which players could make a difference in this clash?
For Birmingham Phoenix, Joe Clarke and Ben Dwarshuis will be key.
Which team has the edge going into this game?
Based on the current form, it is hard to look beyond the Welsh Fire to win this game in the Midlands.
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