Southampton: Welsh Fire men’s team secures six-wicket victory over Southern Brave
Welsh Fire Men’s Victory
The Welsh Fire men’s team commenced their 2026 Hundred season with a six-wicket win against Southern Brave in Southampton. Captain Phil Salt played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 47 runs from 37 balls. This performance helped his team successfully chase down a target of 136 runs.
Salt, who is the all-time leading scorer in The Hundred with 1,138 runs across five seasons with his former team Manchester Originals, joined Fire as captain for this year’s competition. His objective is to guide the Welsh franchise to their inaugural title, following their last-place finish in both the men’s and women’s tables last season.
During the chase, Salt initially supported fellow opener Matt Short, who contributed a quick 20 runs. Salt then maintained the team’s momentum through partnerships with Joe Root, who scored 14 runs, and Rachin Ravindra, who added 24 runs. The match concluded dramatically when Asa Tribe hit a four off Chris Jordan’s first ball, with Salt sealing the victory with a six two balls later, needing nine runs from the final five balls.
For Southern Brave, openers Jamie Smith and Ben McKinney were dismissed for single-digit scores. However, 18-year-old Thomas Rew helped rebuild their innings with a rapid 41 runs from 30 balls. David Miller also contributed significantly, finishing with 44 runs from 35 balls, despite struggling early on. His effort helped the Brave reach a total of 135-7, which ultimately proved insufficient.
The Welsh Fire bowlers managed to control the scoring rate throughout the Brave’s innings. Marco Jansen was a standout performer, taking 2 wickets for just 17 runs. Nikhil Chaudhary also picked up 2 wickets for 19 runs from 15 balls. Short contributed with a miserly 1 wicket for 5 runs from 10 balls.
Southern Brave Women Secure Victory
In another match, the Southern Brave women’s team secured an eight-run victory over Welsh Fire. Sophie Molineux, captain of Southern Brave, was named player of the match in her first game leading the team. Molineux, an Australian T20 World Cup-winning captain, showcased her skills in a thrilling encounter at the Rose Bowl.
The Welsh Fire women’s team appeared to be in a strong position to chase down Southern Brave’s total of 126 runs, having reached 1-80 from 58 balls. Australian player Georgia Wareham scored nine runs for Fire. However, a direct hit from Jemimah Rodrigues resulted in the run-out of Freya Kemp for 39 runs, providing an opening for the Brave.
Following this turning point, wickets fell quickly for the Fire. Georgia Voll was dismissed after scoring 52 runs. Molineux, a Victorian all-rounder, was instrumental with the ball, taking 3 wickets for 14 runs from 20 balls. Lauren Bell and Tilly Corteen-Coleman each contributed with two wickets, ensuring that Fire concluded their innings at 8-118.
Earlier in the match, Southern Brave’s total was built around the unbeaten 45 runs from 36 balls by South African star Laura Wolvaardt. Lizelle Lee also made a contribution of 31 runs. Molineux herself scored a free-flowing 22 runs before being stumped. Despite a four-wicket haul from Australian teammate Heather Graham for Fire, her efforts ultimately proved to be in vain.
Molineux expressed satisfaction with the win, highlighting the team’s ability to recover and the depth of their bowling attack. She noted the challenge of managing the bowling attack but praised the team’s performance, particularly Bell’s bowling at the end of the match. The Southern Brave were tournament winners in 2023 and semi-finalists last year.
On Thursday, London Spirit is scheduled to compete against Manchester Super Giants at Lord’s. The women’s game will begin at 14:45 BST, followed by the men’s game at 18:30 BST.
Source: bbc.com
Priya Menon 