Steven Smith anchors Fire chase in major blow to Phoenix play-off hopes

Steven Smith steered Welsh Fire to a comfortable eight-wicket victory at Edgbaston to leave Birmingham Phoenix with a mountain to climb to qualify for the Eliminator and keep their own slim hopes alive.

Set 139 for victory, Fire, who started the evening bottom of the table, reached their target with 11 balls to spare, Steve Eskinazi breaking the back of the chase with a 29-ball 42 before Smith (47 not out from 36) scripted a comprehensive win.

The Australian legend has struggled for form in his first season of the Hundred, making a top score of 29 in his first five knocks, but he played sensibly while Eskinazi and Jonny Bairstow (35 from 21) provided the pyrotechnics at the other end.

Bairstow dispatched Adam Milne into the Hollies Stand with an almighty six, only to be bowled by the Kiwi's next delivery, but skipper Tom Abell took his side over the line with plenty to spare.

Phoenix's innings was a disjointed affair, with several batters making starts but no one able to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. After Aussie quick Riley Meredith cleaned up Ben Duckett for 5 via an inside edge, Will Smeed (23 from 17), Joe Clarke (24 from 12) and Liam Livingstone (16 from 9) all played eye-catching strokes but failed to kick on.

Jacob Bethell hit three sixes in his stylish knock of 38 from 28 but Fire's fingerspinners never let Phoenix cut loose, Chris Green taking 3 for 27 including the scalp of Bethell, caught at long-on in the final set, while Ben Kellaway returned figures of 2 for 10 from 15 deliveries, also taking three catches and effecting a run-out on a memorable debut in the Hundred.

Phoenix's final total of 138 for 9 felt under par and so it proved as Fire went on to claim their second win of the campaign and move up to seventh in the table, eight points behind third with two matches still to play. Phoenix remain in fifth, ahead of Fire on net run rate.