Solar Eclipse in The Hundred: How cricket was played as skies turned dark in Edgbaston

Solar Eclipse in The Hundred: How cricket was played as skies turned dark in Edgbaston originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

A partial solar eclipse darkened the skies during a game in The Hundred in England.

The eclipse peaked at 7:11pm, with 92% of the sun obscured, and floodlights were used.

MI London won by 2 runs, defending 157/6 against Birmingham Phoenix's 155/7 at Edgbaston.

Solar eclipse darkens Edgbaston during The Hundred clash

Wednesday saw a spectacle in The Hundred 2026 as the Birmingham sky at Edgsbaston went strangely dark sky due to a solar eclipse during the Birmingham Phoenix vs MI London match in the men's tournament, ahead of the Eliminator.

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The match started at 6:30 p.m. local time (BST) on August 12, placing it in the middle of the partial solar eclipse. The eclipse started at 6:15 pm, achieved total coverage at 7:11 pm, ended at 8:05 pm, and at its peak, 91.76% of the sun was covered up.

This meant that the spectators and players at Edgbaston witnessed the most spectacular part of the eclipse while the match was being played under the Edgsbaston floodlights.

The unusual circumstances ended up contributing to the ambience of the evening rather than interrupting the game. According to one of the spectators, it was "an absolutely awesome evening" since the stadium announcer and the large screen kept warning the crowd to "stop staring at the eclipse every 5 mins".

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How the eclipse unfolded during Birmingham Phoenix vs MI London

The timing of this game made it all the more special. The schedule of the Hundred was drawn up well before the eclipse.

The floodlighting system of the stadium became very significant when natural light began to wane. The images of the match at Edgbaston showed how bright the lights became above the pitch with the surrounding skies getting darker due to the eclipse.

And yet the game proceeded as planned.

With 100-balls to play, MI London managed to put up 157/6. Nicholas Pooran scored 36 in 21 balls, and Jason Roy made 26 off 21 balls. But Birmingham Phoenix fell just two runs short of matching their opponents' score, as they finished with 155/7. Their top scorer was Joe Weatherley with 42 in 31 balls, along with 23 in 11 balls from Rehan Ahmed.

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While Phoenix finished rock bottom, despite the win, MI London fell short of the playoff spots. Trent Rockets will face the winner of Friday's Eliminator between Manchester Super Giants and Sunrisers Leeds in the final on Sunday.

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Floodlights save the day at Edgbaston

There was a total darkness at Edgbaston because of the eclipse, and thus the use of floodlights was vital during this phase. The match went on under the lights when there were conditions that allowed playing the game.

This move was logical since both the players and the fans were locked in to enjoy a great show under the lights, including the solar eclipse.

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