Trent Rockets vs Birmingham Phoenix Prediction & Match Preview – The Hundred 22nd Match

Trent Rockets take on Birmingham Phoenix at Trent Bridge in the 22nd match of The Hundred Men’s 2026, an evening game on Wednesday 5 August.

Sam Billings’ Rockets have won four of five to lead the standings. They were pushed by Sunrisers Leeds last time out but held on to win by five runs. Ben Duckett has scored 240 runs in five games and will open with Finn Allen, while Aneurin Donald, who played a match-winning innings last time, joins Billings and Tim David in the middle order. Santner, Gregory and Overton add depth; Overton has five wickets, Mohammad Amir has bowled with discipline, and Calvin Harrison and Matt Henry help control the middle overs.

Donovan Ferreira’s Birmingham Phoenix are bottom of the table after a seven-wicket defeat to Welsh Fire. Early wickets have often hurt them, so a good start from Mitchell Owen and Will Smeed is needed. Joe Clarke has 130 runs and is their most reliable batter, and Rehan Ahmed has five wickets. Saqib Mahmood and Chris Wood will need to strike early with the new ball.

On a good batting pitch the Rockets’ form and batting depth make them clear favourites in our preview.

Probable playing XI

Pitch report

Trent Bridge is traditionally one of the better batting surfaces in England while still giving bowlers some help. The new ball can swing and seam, especially in cloud, so the powerplay matters. As the match goes on the surface settles and favours stroke-making, and a quick outfield with relatively short boundaries rewards aggressive batting late. Spinners can contribute through variations. First-innings totals of 150–170 are generally competitive, with more possible when batting conditions are at their best.

Weather

Wednesday evening is forecast to be very good in Nottingham, around 19–20°C under partly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Rain is very unlikely, and a fresh breeze could help seamers. Light dew may appear later in the match but should not have a major impact.

Expected scores

• 1st innings: 150–170
• 2nd innings: 145–165

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