Southern Brave vs Birmingham Phoenix Prediction & Match Preview – The Hundred

Southern Brave host Birmingham Phoenix in the 13th match of The Hundred Men’s Competition 2026 at the Rose Bowl on Thursday 30 July. Brave are short of time to rescue their campaign after three straight defeats, the latest a three-wicket loss to MI London. They can, however, draw on a strong head-to-head record against Phoenix.

Their batting has lacked consistency. Jamie Smith top-scored in the last game with 49 and is expected to open with Ben McKinney, while Tristan Stubbs, David Miller and Marcus Stoinis anchor the middle order, with Nikhil Chaudhary, Saif Zaib and captain Chris Jordan to finish. With the ball, Jofra Archer is the strike weapon, supported by Luke Wood and Adil Rashid.

Phoenix arrive after an 87-run loss to Manchester Super Giants in which they conceded 187. Captain Donovan Ferreira needs a better display from the bowlers, notably Saqib Mahmood, Ben Dwarshuis, Scott Currie and Usman Tariq. Joe Clarke scored 88 in his first two matches and should open with Will Smeed, with Rehan Ahmed, Laurie Evans, Mitchell Owen and Sean Dickson behind them.

Both sides have something to prove, but the home team’s record against Phoenix and the quality of Archer and Rashid give them the edge in our preview.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

The Rose Bowl is generally a balanced T20 surface. Seamers often enjoy early swing and movement, especially in overcast English conditions, which makes the powerplay important. As the innings progresses the pitch settles and offers consistent bounce, so batters can play with confidence. Spinners come into the game in the middle overs as the surface slows, with variations and cutters proving effective. First-innings totals of about 165–180 are usually competitive, and 185–190 can be hard to chase.

Weather

Thursday evening should be ideal for cricket, with temperatures around 25–26°C and partly sunny to mostly clear skies. The chance of rain is only about 2–5%, so interruptions are very unlikely. A light west-southwesterly breeze of 13–15 km/h should give seamers little help. Dew is not expected to be a significant factor.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 155–170
• 2nd innings: 150–165

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