Ellyse Perry struck an unbeaten 62 to guide Birmingham Phoenix to a five-wicket win over MI London at Edgbaston on Wednesday, condemning their opponents to the wooden spoon in the Women’s Hundred. Chasing 121, Phoenix slipped to 48 for 4 inside the powerplay before Perry steadied the innings alongside Pakistan captain Fatima Sana, who made 36.
The pair added 66 runs for the fifth wicket and carried Phoenix home with six balls to spare. Both sides had won just one match apiece before this fixture, but Phoenix ended their campaign on a high while MI London suffered their sixth defeat of the season and finished bottom of the table.
Perry and Sana Steady the Chase After Early Collapse
Phoenix lost Jemima Spence and Davina Perrin inside the first three overs, and Kirstie Gordon’s left-arm spin accounted for both. Alice Capsey and Emma Lamb fell cheaply too, leaving the home side wobbling at 48 for 4.
Perry, batting through the innings, found her rhythm against the MI London bowlers and punished anything short or wide. Sana supported her well from the other end, rotating strike and picking her moments to attack.
Nicola Carey removed Sana with just seven runs needed, but Perry finished the job herself, reaching her fifty off 31 balls before sealing the win. She struck seven fours and two sixes during her knock and also took two catches earlier in the match, doing enough to be named Player of the Match.
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MI London Struggle to Post a Competitive Total
Put in to bat after Phoenix won the toss, MI London made an uneven start. Lauren Filer trapped Kira Chathli lbw early, though Hayley Matthews responded with four boundaries in a brisk 21 off 14 balls before falling to a sharp catch by Perrin.
Melie Kerr departed first ball, caught by Perry at mid-off, and Alice Monaghan was bowled by an off-cutter from Eva Gray. At 47 for 4, MI London needed a recovery, and Hollie Armitage and Chinelle Henry provided one, adding 56 runs for the fifth wicket. Henry made 42 off 33 balls before holing out to Perry, and Armitage fell off the final delivery of the innings to finish on 31. MI London closed on 120 for 6, a total that proved short of what the pitch demanded.
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Phoenix Finish Seventh, MI London Winless Streak Continues
The result meant Phoenix ended their campaign in seventh place with a much-needed win, while MI London’s poor run continued into a sixth loss. Speaking after the match, Perry credited her side’s bowling effort throughout the tournament, saying the team had given its best even though results had not always followed. She added that finishing the season with a win at home, in front of a strong crowd, made for a satisfying end.
For MI London, the defeat capped a difficult campaign that saw them win only once all season, leaving them to reflect on where their batting fell short across the competition. Phoenix’s bowlers, particularly Gordon and Gray, played a key role in restricting MI London’s total and setting up the chase that Perry and Sana completed with composure.
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