The Analysis: Calvin Harrison, Phoenix fail to fly, and pantomime villains

ELIZABETH BOTCHERBY looks back on the key moments from Manchester Originals versus Birmingham Phoenix at Emirates Old Trafford

We need to talk about Calvin

Matt Parkinson stole the show with the ball, dismissing the dangerous Liam Livingstone in his first five before taking three wickets in four deliveries as Birmingham Phoenix were bowled out for 87. The ball for his second wicket turned so much that Chris Cooke could only stare bamboozled at his feet. Tom Hartley, meanwhile, put in yet another miserly shift, conceding just 22 runs from his 20 balls.

However, before Parkinson’s eye-catching third five, Calvin Harrison had been the undoubted star of the show.

The 23-year-old has had something of a meteoric rise over the past few months. In 2020, he made two Blast appearances for Hampshire, taking one wicket. In 2021, he has a team-leading 18 wickets in the same competition for Notts Outlaws - the defending champions - and an economy of 6.78. And after being selected as a wildcard by Manchester Originals – and handed the tough task of replacing seamer Jamie Overton on the roster – he has well and truly settled in his new northern home.

His first five leggies conceded just four runs, his second a further five. Returning to the attack following a 10-ball break, he found himself up against the difficult duo of Chris Benjamin and Daniel Bell-Drummond. No matter, he snared Bell-Drummond caught and bowled off the third ball, before removing Chris Benjamin six balls later – a brilliant boundary catch by Phil Salt stimulating huge cheers from the press box – to finish with figures of 2 for 18.

Emirates Old Trafford is a ground which has historically been kind to spinners and Manchester used this information to their advantage, bowling 59 balls of spin which returned figures of 6 for 49. After making a promising start against Phoenix, Harrison should find Manchester a happy hunting ground during The Hundred. And one thing’s for certain, if he keeps this up, he won’t be a wildcard pick next year.

All the angles from that Matt Parkinson ripper!#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/mYYYzr5MI1

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) July 25, 2021

Birmingham’s men fail where their women succeeded

The Hundred is built on a foundation of gender parity: same kits, same stadiums, same hotels, same schedules, same prize money. And for half of the on-field action, it felt as though Birmingham Phoenix’s men’s side were even taking that approach onto the pitch.

Both Birmingham outfits won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to exploit any advantage they could from the used pitch on offer at Emirates Old Trafford. Both Birmingham outfits had no answer to Manchester’s spinners. The women posted 113 for 9, losing five wickets to Sophie Ecclestone and Emma Lamb and only limping beyond the 100-mark courtesy of a 20-run mauling of Laura Jackson halfway through their innings. The men, meanwhile, were no match for the Parkinson-Hartley-Harrison axis and suffered the ignominy of becoming the first side to be bowled out in The Hundred, trudging off the field with 87 runs from 84 balls.
However, where the women fielded with determination and capitalised on the injury woes of struggling Harmanpreet Kaur to steal a surprise 20-run win, the men had simply too much to do.

Phil Salt came out swinging, blasting 22 runs from 11 balls before being bowled by Imran Tahir while winding up to send a straight delivery into a different postcode. Joe Clarke (bowled Howell) and Colin Munro (stumped Cooke, bowled Ali) both departed before the 50-ball mark, depriving Manchester of some of their top-order powerhouses and briefly threatening to reduce them to the same lacklustre batting witnessed at The Oval. But with the scoreboard reading 50 balls left, 28 runs required and seven wickets in hand at the halfway mark, any scenario other than a Manchester win never really looked likely.

And it didn’t happen with a smash and a crash. Instead, a rather casual strike rotation between Jos Buttler, Tom Lammonby and (briefly) Carlos Brathwaite saw Manchester over the line with 27 balls to spare.

Back to the drawing board for Phoenix, who maybe need to take a lesson or two from Amy Jones’ match-saving 15 runs from Laura Jackson’s third five and the well-marshalled fielding of the women’s unit going forward. Oh, and maybe a few prayers that they don't encounter a pitch like Emirates Old Trafford again.

And speaking of the pitch...

Boundaries in short supply

When attending a white-ball match, you expect to see sixes galore. You prime yourself to be take a stupendous crowd catch out of the sky, you try not to wear anything too flammable lest you find yourself on the wrong end of one of the flame cannons, you stretch beforehand, preparing to whip both arms in the air with alarming regularity.

Yet the used pitch at Emirates Old Trafford - which by the time Buttler and co. took to it was on its sixth use in six days - yielded just 21 fours during the men's match, 13 for Manchester and eight for Birmingham. Indeed, the only six of the whole day came from the bat of Amy Jones.

Disappointing for the crowd who had been promised a day of big-hitting action? Perhaps.

Hostile reception for Liam Livingstone

In a Lancashire shirt, Liam Livingstone is beloved by the Emirates Old Trafford faithful. When he emerged at number seven for England against Pakistan at his home ground and crunched his first ball for six, the fans blew the hypothetical roof off the ground.

But when he walked out in Birmingham Phoenix orange – a colour which can only be described as radical carrot – boos echoed into the Manchester evening air.

He hit his third ball of the evening straight down the ground for four, cue silence. A few sets later, he scooped Fred Klaassen (at the second attempt) for another boundary. More silence. Unfortunately for the Cumbrian, his role for the day was assigned early: pantomime villain.

The silence lasted just long enough for Matt Parkinson to take his cap off and come into the attack. Eying up his county teammate’s first ball, Livingstone went for a drive through cover, miscued the shot, and ended up edging the ball to a sprawling Klaassen at short third man. He departed for 12, riotous cheers ringing in his ears.

^{Lancashire's Liam Livingstone was a pantomime villain for the day}

A carnet of fives

It’s something which has been debated on TV, radio and in press boxes up and down the country since Wednesday’s tournament opener – what on earth do you call a collection of five balls? An over, a five, a set? Don’t even ask about the 10-ball moments, the press contingent may break out in a cold sweat.

But the BBC’s Daniel Norcross has suggested the word 'carnet' which, for those familiar with the Paris metro, is a book of 10 tickets for a reduced price. Will it catch on? Watch this space.