Birmingham Phoenix is one of eight teams who make up crickets’ newest innovation - The Hundred. After a very successful 2021 campaign, Birmingham Phoenix will be full of expectation ahead of the 2022 season. In this blog we will cover the standout moments and players from last year, the 2022 draft, the 2022 squad that was recently announced and who to watch out for.
2021 Recap
2021 Recap
From the eight games last year, Birmingham Phoenix won six and lost only two topping the table; they joined Southern Brave, Trent Rockets and the Oval Invincibles in the semi-finals. There were many standout moments from some of the extremely talented individuals in the Phoenix squad, here are just some of our picks:
Liam Livingstone
We couldn’t not talk about standout moments without mentioning the MVP himself, Liam Livingstone. Liam scored 348 runs throughout the competition, with a high score of 92 not out from 40 balls. Livingstone also comfortably topped the six hitting chart, with a whopping 27!
Adam Milne
Milne, alongside three others, was the top men’s wicket taker. The fast bowler racked up 12 wickets from his 8 games, with best figures of 3 wickets for just 15 runs. Another moment that stands out was when Milne took a stunning catch with just one hand off his own bowling – quite amazing.
Imran Tahir
The moment that really stands out to us was when Imran Tahir took the competitions first hattrick, helping Birmingham Phoenix to bowl Welsh Fire for just 91 runs. The achievement of a hattrick in itself is great but, the way Imran ran off celebrating around the ground was just amazing.
The 2022 draft
Each team can retain 10 players from the squad of 15 players they had last year but, only two England contracted players can be retained. The date for the draft is now confirmed as the 5th April. Selections will happen in draw order, where each team will take turns to fill their spaces available in each salary band. Each player will have a reserve price that the team who wants them must pay as a minimum however, if a team wants to ensure that player is theirs, they can pay above asking price. All 8 teams must leave one of their £30,000 slots open for the Vitality Wildcard Draft.
Squad Announcement
The men’s and women’s Birmingham Phoenix teams have both announced the players they have retained ahead of the 2022 season. The men have retained England seamer Chris Woakes, all-rounder Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone and Adam Milne. The women have retained batting sensation Amy Jones, Emily Arlott and all-rounder Evelyn Jones. Take a look at the graphic below of how the squads look before the draft.
We’ve selected two players from the men’s and women’s teams who excite us ahead of this year’s competition.
Liam Livingstone
Whenever this man walks to the crease, you can expect fireworks; Livingstone just hits the ball so hard and true to all areas of the ground, keep your hands at the ready if you’re in the crowd.
Will Smeed
Only brought in halfway through last year, Smeed quickly got a reputation as a big hitter who scores very quickly. At only 20, we’re excited to see how Smeed performs this year and whether he can repeat his knockout 2021 performances.
Sophie Divine
Rated as the number 1 women’s T20 all-rounder, Sophie Devine is a highly destructive batsmen who bowls some handy overs too. We can’t wait to see her in action this summer!
Ellyse Perry
Arguably one of the biggest names in the women’s game, Ellyse Perry is known for smashing boundaries and taking wickets. So, we’re sure Ellyse will take The Hundred by storm.
Do you fancy experiencing the electric atmosphere, action-packed matches, and all-inclusive hospitality at The Hundred at Edgbaston this summer? Check out our hospitality experiences below.
