Southern Brave won the first Men's Hundred tournament on Saturday (August 21), defeating Birmingham Phoenix by 32 runs in the final at the Lord's. Birmingham Phoenix and the Southern Brave were in great form in the group stage, finishing first and second in the points table, respectively. They went on to win their knockout stage matches, earning a berth in the final. There was speculation about whether this format would attract spectators but as per reports, this newly formed competition attracted young people, which was ECB's primary target audience. The final match report of the 100-ball cricket is covered in this article. The Hundred 2021 Final Match Report: Southern Brave vs. Birmingham Phoenix The format of The Hundred is unique among cricket formats. As the name implies, it's a 100-ball cricket match. A bowler can bowl a total of 20 balls in an innings, with 5 balls per over. Despite the fact that the format is different, the cricketers in the Hundred play with the same mindset. Read:BAN vs. NZ 2021: How Bangladesh Can Clinch the T20I Series Against New Zealand Ireland superstar Paul Stirling rose to the occasion for Southern Brave in the final against Birmingham Phoenix, helping his team achieve a 168/5 total in their allotted 100 balls. Paul Stirling sparked with a blistering 61 off 36 balls knock and formed a number of solid partnerships in the middle. After Paul's departure, Ross Whiteley hammered 44 runs in just 19 balls which helped Southern to score a big total to defend the championship match. Birmingham Phoenix's best bowler was Adam Milne. He took two wickets and bowled 14 dot balls during his spell. Read:ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Dubai to Host Epic India-Pakistan Group Stage Match In the run chase, Birmingham Phoenix scored 136/5 in their allocated overs and lost the match by a significant margin. Moeen Ali (36) and Liam Livingstone (46) of Birmingham tried to form a partnership to chase down the target, but they were unable to accelerate the innings in the middle. Chris Benjamin (23) and Benny Howell (20) also tried their best to get close to the target but their efforts only reduced the margin of defeat. Read BAN vs. NZ T20I Series 2021: Bangladesh Squad Analysis George Garton and Tymal Mills bowled some crucial dot deliveries for Southern Brave, putting the batsmen under a lot of strain. Tymal Mills, in particular, only gave up 13 runs in his 20 deliveries. Paul Stirling was named player of the final for his outstanding batting performance. While Liam Livingstone was awarded player of the series after scoring 348 runs in 9 innings with a staggering 178.46 strike rate. Adam Milne, M de Lange, Adil Rashid, and Rashid Khan each took the most 12 wickets in the competition. Read:ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021: Who Are Favourites? Bottom Line The inaugural edition of the Men's 100-ball cricket competition saw the Southern Braveemerge victorious. The Southern Braves have accomplished something truly remarkable. Paul Stirling, Ross Whiteley, and Tymal Mills were the key performers in the final for the winning side. The Hundred had to be postponed for a year due to the coronavirus epidemic. However, a new-format competition is never easy to organize. The organizers should be applauded for their efforts in putting together a great event. Overall, the tournament was a success. Read Mushfiqur, Liton return as Bangladesh announce squad for NZ T20Is

England allrounder Ben Stokes announced an “indefinite break from all forms of cricket” with an immediate effect. It means that the allrounder will not be available for the home series against India starting next week.  England and Wales Cricket Board released a statement about the same on Friday. “Stokes wants to prioritize his mental wellbeing and to rest his left index finger, which has not fully healed since his return to competitive cricket earlier this month,” the statement reads. “The ECB fully supports Ben’s decision, and we will continue to help him during this period away from the game.” Stokes broke the finger in the Indian Premier League in April and returned home for an operation. It also ruled him out of England’s test series against New Zealand in June and the following limited-overs series against Sri Lanka. But when the England squad had to isolate because of a virus outbreak, Stokes accepted an emergency call to captain England in a one-day international series against Pakistan this month. After winning the series, he stepped back from England duty again. Read: Ben Stokes fined, given demerit point for swearing at fan But when the England squad had to isolate because of a virus outbreak, Stokes accepted an emergency call to captain England in a one-day international series against Pakistan this month. After winning the series, he stepped back from England duty again. “Ben has shown tremendous courage to open up about his feelings and wellbeing,” ECB managing director of men’s cricket Ashley Giles said in a statement. “Our primary focus has always been and will continue to be, the mental health and welfare of all of our people. The demands on our athletes to prepare and play elite sport are relentless in a typical environment, but the ongoing pandemic has acutely compounded this,” he added. He also said that Stokes can take as much time as he needs. Stokes will be replaced in the squad by Somerset’s Craig Overton. Read: Ben Stokes nominated for New Zealander of the Year The 30-year old left-handed batsman and right-handed fast bowler represented England in 101 ODIs, 71 Tests and 34 T20Is. He was England’s main weapon to win the World Cup 2019 at home. Stokes has 13 centuries and 45 half-centuries in international cricket with 256 wickets. 

Europe's economy is losing strength. Top officials at the European Central Bank are at odds over policy. And it's even unclear whether they can do much to help anyway.