Top 3 reasons why Oval Invincibles Men lost to Birmingham Phoenix Men in the Hundred 2025 match 10

Birmingham Phoenix Men won by a narrow margin of four wickets and limited time to complete their 181 run chase with just two balls remaining in the 10th match of The Hundred 2025. Donovan Ferreira was at the forefront of the Invincibles' charge with a sensational 63 off only 29 balls and Jordan Cox's support of 44 off 30 gave the Invincibles the score of 180/8. However, the home team's stay in the match competition was secured by Liam Livingstone's magnificent counterattack supported by Will Smeed's rapid fifty. Oval's bowling, despite good initial results, fell apart under pressure and they lost the game in the death overs. Here are the main reasons why the Birmingham Phoenix Men lost the match:

1. Liam Livingstone’s Unstoppable Assault

Livingstone blasted 69 not out off only 27 balls as he tore apart the Invincibles’ bowling with his precision hitting. His brutal 26 runs in five balls off Rashid Khan completely turned the momentum, leaving the bowlers with no response at the very end.

2. Rashid Khan’s Record-Worst Spell

Rashid Khan, usually the Invincibles’ trump card, endured a nightmare outing—conceding 59 runs in his four overs without taking a wicket. This was his most expensive spell in T20 cricket and the men’s Hundred, which proved decisive in letting Phoenix chase freely.

3. Inconsistent Batting Foundation

Even with a scorecard of 180/8 the Invincibles lost vital wickets in the powerplay and struggled to build an innings, meaning they didn’t have the benefit of creating a solid batting platform to put on a really imposing total. This allowed Phoenix to have an achievable target.