Last year's men's runners-up in The Hundred look determined to go one better in 2022, with the Birmingham Phoenix bidding to take another step towards the knockout stages on Friday.
Daniel Vettori's side are currently third at the midway point of the group stage, with the Northern Superchargers their next opponents at Edgbaston and they can strengthen their case.
Phoenix firepower can see them through
| What: | Birmingham Phoenix Men v Northern Superchargers Men, The Hundred |
| Where: | Edgbaston, Birmingham |
| When: | 19.00, Friday 19th August 2022 |
| How to watch: | Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Mix |
| Odds: | Birmingham Phoenix Men 8/13, Northern Superchargers Men 13/10 |
With the strength in depth in Birmingham's batting line-up, you can tell why many people think they are the team to beat in this year's Hundred tournament.
Opener Will Smead made history earlier this month when becoming the first batter to make a century in the latest format of the game, during the Phoenix's 53-run win over the Southern Brave.
Below Smead, skipper Moeen Ali – batting at three - continues to lead by example and has 114 runs to his name in his four innings to date.
Above him in the run charts is Liam Livingstone, with the England white-ball star smashing 123 in the first four games, at an average of 41.00. Livingstone is currently 10/1 to finish the tournament as the top batter.
The only defeat so far suffered by the Phoenix in 2022 came against Trent Rockets in their opening game and they have responded in fine style off the back of that.
When you take into account last season's matches, Birmingham have now won four on the spin on home soil and they look a dominant force at Edgbaston.
Superchargers relying on Yorkshire ace Lyth
Adam Lyth has been the shining light in what has been a frustrating campaign so far for the Superchargers, with just one victory from their opening four matches.
The Yorkshire batter currently ranks eighth in The Hundred batting stats, smashing 130 across four innings with an average of 32.50.
The Superchargers have scored 150+ in three of their four innings to date, but their bowling attack haven't been able to make the inroads to turn those into victories.
Dwayne Bravo is the highest wicket-taker in their squad, with five wickets to date, while Adil Rashid has four to his name. Rashid has a good international record at Edgbaston and is 11/8 to take over 1.5 wickets on Friday.
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Birmingham looking to cement their place at the top
| What: | Birmingham Phoenix Women v Northern Superchargers Women, The Hundred |
| Where: | Edgbaston, Birmingham |
| When: | 15.30, Friday 19th August 2022 |
| How to watch: | Sky Sports Mix |
| Odds: | Birmingham Phoenix Women 8/11, Northern Superchargers Women 11/10 |
It's been a flying start to the 2022 campaign for the Birmingham Phoenix women, with wins in their opening two matches.
Ben Sawyer's team started their campaign with a 19-run victory at the Welsh Fire, before securing an eight-wicket win at home to the Trent Rockets.
It was a big boost for The Hundred when Australian star Ellyse Perry signed up for this year's tournament and her early performances have lived up to expectations.
The all-rounder already has a half-century to her name and has averaged 97.00 in her first two innings. Perry is available at 4/1 to be the top batter for her team on Friday afternoon.
England international Georgia Elwiss is in the top five of the bowling stats at present, with the pace bowler collecting four wickets in the first two matches for the Phoenix. Meanwhile, Emily Arlott is another key bowler, having collected 3-19 in the win over the Rockets.
Superchargers ready to improve
Northern Superchargers women finished sixth in the standings last year, but there have been signs that they will improve in 2022.
It's been one win and one defeat in their opening two matches, with Danielle Hazell's team responding to an opening game loss with eight-wicket victory over London Spirit.
A lot was expected of Australian signing Alyssa Healy but so far the 32-year-old has not yet hit the heights, scoring just 37 runs with the bat so far.
But a player with over 123 Women's T20 internationals under her belt, it seems a matter of time before she sparks into life. Healy is 13/5 to be the top Northern Superchargers batter on Friday.
A victory would give the Yorkshire-based outfit a huge lift ahead of their fourth game, against local rivals Manchester Originals at Headingley on Sunday.
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