Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets predictions: England ace to lead Brum from the front
Steve Palmer
Birmingham finished second in the table last term with six wins
Trent Rockets won four of their eight games last season
Recommended bet: Ben Duckett Over 23.5 Runs
Birmingham Phoenix and 2022 champions Trent Rockets get their Hundred campaigns underway with a clash under the lights at Edgbaston on Friday.
The Phoenix did the double over the Rockets last year and are favourites to extend their dominance over the Trent Bridge franchise.
The latest Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Team news
Left-handed batter Freddie McCann has been drafted late by the Phoenix to replace 6ft 7in seamer Harry Moore, who has a back problem.
Liam Livingstone captains Birmingham and can call upon the likes of England stars Duckett and Jacob Bethell and the former New Zealand new-ball attack of Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
David Willey captains the Rockets who will be without South African all-rounder George Linde for the first two matches.
The stats
Birmingham Phoenix have won five of the completed seven Hundred fixtures against Trent Rockets.
The Phoenix won their last three fixtures at Edgbaston in last year's competition.
Birmingham's Duckett hit the second-most fours (31) and third-most sixes (12) in 2024.
The Rockets had the single highest total in last year's Hundred, scoring 185-5 in a 47-run win over the Superchargers.
The latest Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets odds are available on LiveScore Bet
Prediction
This is the first match of the new Hundred campaign for these franchises and the fact is that Birmingham Phoenix certainly look stronger on paper, so they are worthy 3/5 favourites with LiveScore Bet.
It has got to be too early in the campaign to be piling into that sort of odds, especially given the vagaries of this peculiar format.
There are plenty of players - in both dressing rooms - in good form, and perhaps none in richer nick than Duckett.
The England opener has headed for Edgbaston on the back of a successful Test series against India in which he racked up 462 runs at an average of 51.3, including a ton and three 50s.
A prolific scorer over the longest format he showed last summer that he thrives in the shortest, too.
The left-hander was the second top scorer in last season's competition with 269 runs in seven knocks, two of which yielded 50s.
Duckett's match runs are pitched at 23.5 and it is well worth chancing that he clears that mark.
