Joe Root's unbeaten 58 off 40 balls steered Welsh Fire to a seven-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred men's competition at Edgbaston.
Welsh Fire's victory was a controlled one, with Root top-scoring as they chased 138 with four balls to spare. Root's half-century was a key factor in the win, as he formed a 77-run first-wicket partnership with Phil Salt, who struck four sixes in his 46 off 36 balls.
The Birmingham Phoenix innings was marked by a dismal spell of three wickets for nine runs, which saw the team collapse from 53-1 to 79-5. Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen finished with two wickets apiece, while Joe Clarke top-scored with 35 off 23 balls.
Electing to bat first, Phoenix had initially looked strong, racing beyond 50 inside the powerplay. However, they failed to build on this momentum, with poor decision-making and some poor bowling contributing to their downfall.
In the end, Welsh Fire's victory moved them from fifth to second in the table, trailing Trent Rockets on net run-rate. Birmingham Phoenix, meanwhile, have now lost three consecutive matches since winning their opener and remain eighth.
The win will be a welcome boost for Welsh Fire, who will look to build on this momentum in their next match. They face a tough test, however, as they take on Trent Rockets in their next fixture.
Later today, The Hundred action continues with two matches, including a men's game between MI London and Manchester Originals at The Oval, which will be live on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
Source: BBC Sports