• Mumbai Indians owners pay £60m for Oval Invincibles
• Knighthead Capital take stake in Birmingham Phoenix

English cricket’s landmark Hundred sale produced an eventful first day as the Ambanis, India’s richest family, and Knighthead Capital, owners of Birmingham City, secured the right to buy 49% stakes in Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix respectively.

The Guardian has learned that Knighthead’s offer of about £40m for 49% of the Phoenix prevailed in a sealed-bids auction over that of private equity firm CVC Capital Partners. CVC had earlier lost out to Reliance Industries Ltd, owners of Mumbai Indians, in a three-way auction for the equivalent stake in Oval Invincibles.

• Asia’s richest family, the Ambanis, in three-way battle
• New names, bigger budgets and star players on horizon

The ECB has been accused of “selling the family silver and cricket’s soul” rather than taking “strategic decisions” by one of the bidders in the Hundred auction, which begins on Thursday.

The Oval Invincibles is the first franchise up for grabs when the final round of bidding starts with a live online auction at 1.30pm, with Birmingham Phoenix to be sold via sealed bids later in the day.