Southern Brave 128 for 8 (Stoinis 34, Rehan 3-25, Dwarshuis 2-18) beat Birmingham Phoenix 116 for 9 (Smeed 35, Wood 3-24, Stoinis 2-16) by 12 runs

A first victory in four attempts keeps them in contention for the latter knockout stages and draws them level with the Phoenix, who will be asking themselves how they contrived to mismanage what looked at the halfway stage to be a routine run-chase.

After a cautious but solid start, Phoenix reaching 52 for 1 after 47, three quick wickets turned the contest on its head.

Will Smeed was caught at long-on trying to launch Wood into the bleachers. Then Rehan Ahmed, immediately after scooping Jordan for six, miscued a slog into the outer, where Archer made good ground from long-on. The skipper Donovan Ferreira then came and went, clean bowled by Archer hoicking across the line to leave the Phoenix at 65 for 4, still needing 64 from 39 balls.

Stoinis was the difference-maker in both innings, bringing energy to Brave’s stuttering batting, depositing Scott Currie for back-to-back sixes – the second carrying 98 metres – and punching his way to 34 before falling to one of the catches of the tournament from Ferreira at short cover. And then with the ball, he bowled 10 balls in a row for just three runs to stymie Phoenix’s progress, building the pressure that brought the collapse.

With 15 balls to go the game was still alive, but a stunning final five from Archer, conceding just two runs, stretched the equation to 29 from the last 10. Sean Dickson planted Jordan for a brace of sixes, but Wood held his nerve to ice the game, claiming two wickets, allied to a cool run-out from Rashid, as Brave somehow got home by 12 runs.

Stoinis, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “We needed that! Batting first it’s hard to know what a good score is, even though you feel like it might not be the best wicket, it’s still hard to convince yourself to play in a certain way. On the other foot, you know how to bowl on it. On a wicket like this, it’s about subtle changes of pace and staying consistent.”