Smith was caught on the cover boundary for 14 by Sikandar Raza off Scott Currie, but Duckett (22 not out) and Moeen knocked off the remaining seven runs required with eight balls to spare, the skipper securing the win with a six off Currie over fine-leg.
Winning the toss and bowling first, Birmingham Phoenix struck early, Kiwi speedster Adam Milne removing Matthew Hurst from the second legal delivery of the match when the young Lancastrian skied a chance to Liam Livingstone at mid-on.
Milne’s fellow Kiwi Tim Southee took the second set and was immediately smashed into the stands by Phil Salt. He was then sliced over short-third by Max Holden from the final ball of the powerplay as the Originals took their score up to 15-1.
At the halfway point of the innings, the Originals were 22-2, Salt (12) mistiming a cross-bat shot off Milne from the 15th ball of the innings to give Livingstone his second catch of the evening.
Sean Abbott then accounted for Paul Walter (1), caught at deep cover, to make it 24-3. Holden (15) continued to swing hard, the left-hander top-edging Southee for another boundary, but his luck soon ran out when he failed to go over mid-off as Livingstone held onto a third catch.
Chris Wood closed out the innings, conceding just three runs and taking the wicket of Raza caught by Jacob Bethell at deep midwicket. Originals closing on 41-5, hitting just one six in their innings.
Phoenix had just 42 to chase to earn a trip to South London and they did it with ease, ensuring Andrew Flintoff’s first year as Northern Superchargers Head Coach would end with a fourth-place finish. Player of the match: Adam Milne
To come out of the shortened game and into The Hundred Eliminator is very good for us,” said Milne, who took 2-8.
There was a little bit of swing and seam so it was nice to use that first up, but in these shortened games anything can happen, so [you] just mix it up.
Anytime it’s moving around off the straight it’s nice.