Mahela Jayawardene coached Southern Brave were crowned the first men’s Hundred champions after beating Birmingham Phoenix by 32 runs in an action-packed Lord’s final.
Chasing 169, Phoenix’s Liam Livingstone thrashed 46 from 19 balls, animating a raucous Lord’s crowd with an effortless flow of boundaries, before the game swung in dramatic and unlikely fashion.
Tim David, only brought into the Brave’s squad earlier this week, ran out Livingstone with a 60m direct hit from the deep – the in-form Livingstone agonisingly inches short.
Birmingham still needed another 99 from 55 balls and Brave’s impressive bowling attack closed out the game expertly to make the winning margin far greater than looked likely at one stage.
Men’s Hundred final, Lord’s
Southern Brave 168-5 (100 balls): Stirling 61 (36), Whiteley 44* (19)
Phoenix 136-5 (100 balls): Livingstone 46 (19)
Brave win by 32 runs
️ CHAMPIONS!#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/4SScO9CHYI
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 21, 2021
