Spectators at Edgbaston in Birmingham witnessed a rare natural spectacle on Wednesday, August 12, as a partial solar eclipse unfolded in the sky above the ground during The Hundred fixture between Birmingham Phoenix and MI London. The celestial event drew attention from fans inside the stadium, adding an unusual backdrop to the evening's cricket.
Sky Cricket shared visuals from the match on X, capturing the eclipse as it appeared over Edgbaston during the game. The footage highlighted the striking sight of the partially obscured Sun hanging low above the Birmingham skyline while play was under underway.
Eclipse fever has hit Edgbaston! 🌒 pic.twitter.com/HfEYTu6sp9
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) August 12, 2026
Eclipse details over Birmingham on August 12
At its maximum over Birmingham, over 90% of the Sun was covered by the Moon. That peak occurred at around 19:11 BST (11:41 PM IST), with the Sun sitting roughly 12 degrees above the horizon. The eclipse over the city began at approximately 18:15 BST (10:45 PM IST) and lasted until around 20:05 BST (12:35 AM IST), giving it a total duration of close to one hour and fifty minutes from first to last contact.
On Wednesday, Birmingham Phoenix suffered an agonising defeat against MI London. The Sam Curran-led side won the match by just two runs, successfully defending a 158-run target. Richard Gleeson was awarded Player of the Match for his commendable spell of 2/29 in 20 balls, which helped the visitors restrict the home side to 155/7. However, both teams crashed out of the tournament.
The Hundred 2026 knockout stage ahead
The Hundred 2026 is moving towards its knockout stage, with the group phase nearing its conclusion. Birmingham Phoenix hosted MI London at Edgbaston as the last fixture in the round-robin stage. The knockout matches are set to follow as the tournament reaches its final rounds, though specific dates, venues and confirmed qualifiers are subject to official ECB and The Hundred announcements.
Manchester Super Giants will face Sunrisers Leeds in the Eliminator on Friday at the Kennington Oval. The winner of this tie will face Trent Rockets in Sunday's final at Lord's.