London Spirit Women produced a commanding performance to outclass Birmingham Phoenix Women by 88 runs in the 18th match of The Hundred 2025 at Edgbaston. After posting a challenging total of 164/6, Spirit’s bowlers ran riot, bundling Phoenix out for just 76 in 79 balls, sealing a comprehensive win.
Opting to bat first, London Spirit were powered by a sparkling display from Kira Chathli, who lit up Edgbaston with a blistering 69 off 35 balls, laced with 13 fours at a strike rate close to 200. Her counterattack was crucial after Georgia Redmayne’s early dismissal for a duck. Alongside Charli Knott (15 off 14), she added 47 runs for the third wicket, stabilizing the innings after early jolts.
The fireworks continued with Grace Harris (34 off 15, 4 fours and 1 six), who blasted her way to a rapid cameo before falling to Emily Arlott. The finishing touches came from Danielle Gibson (14* off 8) and Sarah Glenn (7* off 4), who ensured Spirit crossed the 160-mark.
For Birmingham Phoenix, Emily Arlott (3/25) was the standout, dismantling the middle order, while Megan Schutt (2/33) and skipper Ellyse Perry (1/26) chipped in. However, Phoenix’s bowlers struggled to contain the flow of boundaries in the face of Chathli’s early blitz and Harris’s late carnage. Spirit eventually closed at 164/6 in 100 balls, setting a formidable target of 165.
In reply, Birmingham Phoenix’s chase never really took off. The top order collapsed under disciplined bowling, with Georgia Voll (8 off 8) falling early and Emma Lamb (23 off 13) run out after a promising start. From there, wickets tumbled in clusters as Phoenix lost their way completely.
Even experienced campaigners like skipper Ellyse Perry (5 off 7) and Amy Jones (10 off 15) failed to steady the innings, while the middle order offered little resistance. With no substantial partnership, Phoenix crumbled to 76 all out in 79 balls, their second-lowest total of the season.
London Spirit’s bowlers shared the spoils. Charlie Dean (2/16) and Eva Gray (2/13) were incisive, striking key blows in the middle overs. Issy Wong (1/8) and Bex Tyson (1/18) kept things tight with early breakthroughs, while Charli Knott (1/7) also made her mark. The bowlers’ collective discipline ensured there was no escape route for Phoenix.
It was the kind of victory that spoke of balance and belief, propelling Spirit to the summit of the table with four wins from five and marking them out as genuine title contenders. For Birmingham Phoenix, the contrast could not be starker — a campaign slipping further away, with just one win in five leaving them adrift in seventh, searching for answers.
