The Welsh Fire men’s team started their 2026 Hundred season with a six-wicket victory over Southern Brave in Southampton. Captain Phil Salt played a crucial role, scoring an unbeaten 47 runs from 37 balls to guide his team to success. This win marks a positive start for the Welsh franchise, which finished at the bottom of both the men’s and women’s tables last season.
Salt, who is the Hundred’s all-time leading scorer with 1,138 runs from five seasons with Manchester Originals, joined Welsh Fire as captain for this year’s competition. His objective is to lead the team to its first-ever title.
Men’s Match Highlights
Chasing a target of 136 runs, Welsh Fire saw opener Matt Short contribute a quick 20 runs early in the innings. Salt then anchored the chase, forming partnerships with Joe Root, who scored 14 runs, and Rachin Ravindra, who added 24 runs. The match reached a tense conclusion with nine runs needed from the final five balls. Asa Tribe hit a boundary off Brave captain Chris Jordan’s first delivery, and Salt secured the win with a six just two balls later.
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, which helped the Brave reach a total of 135-7. This score ultimately proved insufficient.
The Fire bowlers maintained control for much of the innings. Marco Jansen was particularly effective, taking 2-17. Australian all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary also picked up 2-19 from 15 balls, while Matt Short, an Australian off-spinner, delivered a miserly spell of 1-5 from 10 balls. England bowlers Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid, representing Southern Brave, conceded only 40 runs from their combined 40 balls.
Women’s Match Overview
In the women’s competition, Southern Brave secured an eight-run victory over Welsh Fire. Sophie Molineux, captain of Southern Brave, was named player of the match. Molineux, who is Australia’s T20 World Cup-winning captain, showcased her skills in a thrilling encounter at the Rose Bowl.
Welsh Fire appeared to be in a strong position to chase down Brave’s total of 126 runs, reaching 1-80 from 58 balls. However, a direct hit from Jemimah Rodrigues resulted in the run-out of Freya Kemp for 39 runs, providing an opening for Brave. Georgia Voll was dismissed for 52 runs, and wickets fell quickly thereafter.
Molineux played a key role with the ball, taking 3-14 from 20 balls. Lauren Bell and Tilly Corteen-Coleman each claimed two wickets, ensuring Welsh Fire finished on 8-118. Earlier in the innings, Laura Wolvaardt of Southern Brave scored an unbeaten 45 runs from 36 balls, with Lizelle Lee contributing 31 runs. Molineux also added a free-flowing 22 runs with the bat before being stumped. Despite a four-wicket haul from Australian teammate Heather Graham for Welsh Fire, it was not enough to secure a win for her team.
The next matches in the competition will see London Spirit take on Manchester Super Giants at Lord’s on Thursday. The women’s game is scheduled to begin at 14:45 BST, followed by the men’s game at 18:30 BST.
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Source: bbc.com
Priya Nair
Sports Reporter
