Welsh Fire experienced a mixed start to The Hundred 2026 season in Southampton, with the men’s team securing a victory against Southern Brave, while the women’s team fell short in a close contest.
In the men’s competition at Utilita Bowl, Welsh Fire defeated Southern Brave by six wickets. Captain Phil Salt played a significant role, remaining unbeaten with 47 runs, guiding his team to chase down 136 runs. Salt, who is The Hundred‘s all-time leading scorer with 1,138 runs from five seasons with Manchester Originals, aims to lead Welsh Fire to their first title after the franchise finished at the bottom of both men’s and women’s tables last season.
The chase began with opener Matt Short contributing a quick 20 runs. Salt then built partnerships with Joe Root, who scored 14 runs, and Rachin Ravindra, who added 24 runs. With nine runs needed from the final five balls, Asa Tribe hit a boundary off Brave captain Chris Jordan‘s first delivery, and Salt sealed the win with a six two balls later.
For Southern Brave, batting first, openers Jamie Smith and Ben McKinney were dismissed for single-figure scores. However, 18-year-old Thomas Rew helped rebuild the innings with a rapid 41 runs from 30 balls. David Miller also contributed, finishing with 44 runs from 35 balls before being dismissed on the penultimate delivery, taking Brave to a total of 135-7. Welsh Fire‘s bowling attack was led by Marco Jansen, who took 2-17.
Earlier in the day, the women’s match saw Southern Brave secure an eight-run victory over Welsh Fire Women. Brave captain Sophie Molineux was a key performer, taking three wickets and scoring 22 runs from 16 balls. The 2025 Hundred finalists set Welsh Fire a target of 127 runs to win.
Laura Wolvaardt was the top scorer for Southern Brave, making an unbeaten 45 runs from 36 deliveries. Welsh Fire‘s Heather Graham delivered an impressive bowling performance, taking 4-19. Despite this, Welsh Fire appeared to be in control of their chase at one point, largely due to Georgia Voll‘s innings of 52 runs from 39 deliveries.
Freya Kemp further strengthened Welsh Fire‘s position by adding 39 runs before being run out by a direct hit from Jemimah Rodrigues. Despite Rodrigues‘s moment of brilliance, Southern Brave‘s fielding was noted for dropping seven catches, including that of Georgia Voll.
At 80-2 with 41 balls remaining, Welsh Fire seemed to be in a strong position. However, Molineux, alongside England‘s Lauren Bell, rallied her team to restrict Welsh Fire to 118 runs for eight wickets by the end of their innings. Molineux emphasized the importance of holding their nerve during the challenging period.
Molineux dismissed Ella McCaughan and then Sophie Devine, with the latter clipping a shot to Lizelle Lee behind the stumps. Wickets then began to fall rapidly. Tilly Corteen-Coleman ended Voll‘s innings, and Issy Wong caught Georgia Wareham off a Lauren Bell delivery. Bell then took her second wicket, knocking over Em Arlott‘s stumps, leaving Welsh Fire needing 16 runs off 11 deliveries.
The comeback was completed as Molineux snared Niamh Holland, and Corteen-Coleman bowled Heather Graham, keeping Welsh Fire to 118 runs. Bell described dismissing Devine as a critical moment, noting that the team showed their class at the end despite early nerves and dropped catches. She highlighted that getting the first win in tournament cricket is important for confidence.
Looking ahead, Lord’s in London will host Thursday‘s double-header. London Spirit will face Manchester Super Giants, with the women’s game scheduled to begin at 14:45 BST and the men’s match at 18:30 BST.
Read Also
Source: bbc.co.uk
As NewsGB.org's Sports News Writer, Theo Marsden reports on rugby union, golf and boxing for readers across the country. He began on a regional sports desk in Yorkshire. He holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Hull and completed an NCTJ diploma. Theo lives in Hull, where he follows the European Tour and amateur rugby. “Sport moves fast; readers deserve it right the first time.”