The Hundred: Liam Livingstone’s blitz leaves Rashid Khan reeling

Sensational batting by Liam Livingstone propelled Birmingham Phoenix to their first win of the season, as they chased down a challenging 181 to hand the unbeaten Oval Invincibles their first defeat in The Hundred men’s competition.

The Oval Invincibles, after being invited to bat, posted a formidable 180 for 8.

Their innings featured a fiery 63 off 29 balls from Donovan Ferreira, supported by a quick 44 from Jordan Cox. The innings was underpinned by recovery from early troubles, with a devastating late spell courtesy of Dan Mousley and Rashid Khan bolstering the total.

In reply, Birmingham’s innings began cautiously, but Will Smeed’s 51 off 29 provided the vital impetus. He steadily rebuilt the momentum after early setbacks.

With 108 needed from 55 balls, the match-changer arrived: Liam Livingstone unleashed a breathtaking 69 not out off just 27 balls, including five sixes and seven fours.

In one awe-inspiring over, he tore into Rashid Khan, hitting 4, 6, 6, 6, 4 — a brutal display that yielded 26 runs and resulted in Khan registering his worst-ever T20 figures at 0 for 59 from 20 balls.

The chase came down to the wire, but Benny Howell steadied the nerves by driving the final ball through cover, securing a four-wicket win with two balls to spare — the third-highest successful chase in The Hundred’s brief history.

Reflecting on his match-winning knock, Livingstone said: “We needed it… it was nice to lead from the front — and hopefully this gives the boys momentum.”

This victory marks a pivotal moment for Phoenix, offering hope as the competition heats up.

Preview: Wednesday, August 13 Matches

The Hundred continues on Wednesday with two key men’s fixtures that could influence the early-season standings.

First up is Southern Brave who take on Northern Superchargers at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. This match will get underway at 5:30pm Kabul time.

Southern Brave will be aiming to consolidate their form after a convincing win in their last outing, with their top order firing and bowling attack showing discipline.

The Northern Superchargers, are still searching for consistency and will need a strong start from their openers and breakthroughs from their pace battery to challenge Brave at home.

The second match of the day will feature Welsh Fire and Manchester Originals and is set to take place at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. This match starts at 9pm Kabul time.

Welsh Fire are under pressure to register their first win of the campaign, but face a buoyant Manchester Originals side fresh off a morale-boosting victory.

The Originals’ balanced combination of power-hitters and death-bowling options could prove decisive, though Cardiff’s smaller boundaries and under-lights conditions might offer Fire’s middle order a chance to counterpunch.

With teams jostling for position early in the tournament, both matches are expected to be fiercely contested and could shape the momentum going into the mid-stage of the competition.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to watch these exciting matches live on Ariana Television.