Bellingham watches Phoenix end winless Hundred run at Edgbaston
Jude Bellingham saw Birmingham Phoenix, in which he holds a 1.2 per cent stake, claim their first victory in The Hundred women's competition, a result that spotlights the growing flow of football money into English cricket.
Birmingham Phoenix secured their first win of The Hundred 2026 women's tournament on Saturday, chasing down Welsh Fire's 144 with a single ball to spare at Edgbaston. Watching from the stands was Jude Bellingham, the England and Real Madrid midfielder who acquired a 1.2 per cent stake in the franchise earlier this year.
The result lifted Phoenix off the bottom of the table and into fifth place. Before Saturday, their campaign had consisted of defeats to Southern Brave and Trent Rockets and a rain-abandoned fixture against Manchester Super Giants, leaving them on just two points.
For a competition still building its commercial profile, the presence of one of European football's most marketable players in the dugout area matters. Bellingham's stake, though small in percentage terms, brings a global audience to a domestic cricket product and signals that elite athletes increasingly view women's sport franchises as viable investment vehicles rather than charity gestures.
On the field, the chase came down to the final over. Phoenix needed ten runs from three deliveries when Ellyse Perry cleared Heather Graham for six over deep midwicket and then drove the next ball for four through point to seal the contest. Perry finished unbeaten on 68, while Alice Capsey contributed 51 in the partnership that kept the innings alive.
"It is lovely to have the win at home, amazing atmosphere here today," Perry told Sky Sports. "The results haven't been there for us but we've had a lot of fun as a group."
Welsh Fire had posted their 144 off 100 balls after Phoenix opted to bowl, with Georgia Voll top-scoring on 78 from 55 deliveries. The loss dropped Fire to seventh in the standings.
Brave remain untouchable
Elsewhere, Southern Brave made it five wins from five, beating London Spirit by five wickets at Lord's to strengthen their grip on top spot. Captain Sophie Molineux produced figures of 3-7 from her 20 balls, the second most economical in the competition's history.
Chasing 115, the Brave lost Maia Bouchier (46) and Molineux (23) with one run still required before limping home with seven deliveries remaining. Molineux afterwards credited a collective bowling effort: "No standouts, just everyone playing their role."
The Hundred's group stage concludes with the finals on Sunday 16 August. For Phoenix, and for the investors now attached to them, the question is whether one dramatic win can convert into sustained momentum and, in commercial terms, a growing fanbase willing to fill Edgbaston beyond a single celebrity appearance.
