138/4 (19.3)
CR : 7.08
135/7 (20.0)
CR : 6.75
Welsh Fire won by 6 wickets 🏆
Player of the Match
Philip Salt
47(37)*
19.2
1
Chris Jordan to Asa Mark Tribe
Very full ball outside off stump, 88 mph, Tribe clears his front leg and drills the ball powerfully towards extra covers. The batters steal a quick single.
4 needed in 3 balls now.
19.3
6
Chris Jordan to Philip Salt
SIX! Captain Salt silences the Southampton crowd with that hit. In all honesty, his opposite number dished one right in the slot and Salt was never going to let that go past him. Full ball leg stump, in the slot at 88 mph, Salt shuffles across and clears his front leg before swinging hard across the line. The ball flies of the middle of the blade for a handsome six over Stubbs at deep midwicket. The Welsh Fire win this contest by 6 wickets and 2 balls to spare. The end the 8-match losing streak against the Brave and start their Hundred 2026 campaign with a win.
Over 20
Welsh Fire 138/4
Philip Salt47(37)
Asa Mark Tribe11(12)
Chris Jordan0-24(13 b)
WF won by 6 wickets
1:49 AM IST, 9:19 PM local time: For the first time since 2021, Welsh Fire have defeated Southern Brave. They win by 6 wickets, with 2 balls to spare, silence the Southampton crowd, and thereby, begin their season on the right note. Could this be the year when they finally stir the pot?
For the large part, this felt like a race between two old, rusty bicycles on a muddy road. Out of the 198 legal deliveries that were bowled in the contest, 65 were not scored off. Yes, the wicket was a bit two paced, the bounce not the most consistent, and several bowlers did a fine job by consistently putting it the right areas. However, we also saw some ordinary batting from both sides.
Thomas Rew was an exception. He looked purposeful and ready to be adventurous. He scored 41 (30) before falling prey to Marco Jansen. David Miller top-scored in the first innings, but even by his own admission, he was nowhere near his best today and somehow scrapped through. Nikhil Chaudhary played a sprightly cameo of 19 (12) which propelled Southern Brave to 135/7.
In the second innings, again it was Chaudhary who sparked life into the contest. He delivered a 10-ball set in which he dismissed Rachin Ravindra and Jordan Cox. That was followed by an excellent chunk of 15 balls from Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer. As a result, the game was dragged into the final set. Alas, Chris Jordan could not defend the 9 runs that they left for him.
Skipper Phil Salt, much-like the series against India, scrapped through another T20 innings, only to find his mojo towards the end. He slammed the winnings 6 and took his team home.
For the large part, this felt like a race between two old, rusty bicycles on a muddy road. Out of the 198 legal deliveries that were bowled in the contest, 65 were not scored off. Yes, the wicket was a bit two paced, the bounce not the most consistent, and several bowlers did a fine job by consistently putting it the right areas. However, we also saw some ordinary batting from both sides.
Thomas Rew was an exception. He looked purposeful and ready to be adventurous. He scored 41 (30) before falling prey to Marco Jansen. David Miller top-scored in the first innings, but even by his own admission, he was nowhere near his best today and somehow scrapped through. Nikhil Chaudhary played a sprightly cameo of 19 (12) which propelled Southern Brave to 135/7.
In the second innings, again it was Chaudhary who sparked life into the contest. He delivered a 10-ball set in which he dismissed Rachin Ravindra and Jordan Cox. That was followed by an excellent chunk of 15 balls from Adil Rashid and Jofra Archer. As a result, the game was dragged into the final set. Alas, Chris Jordan could not defend the 9 runs that they left for him.
Skipper Phil Salt, much-like the series against India, scrapped through another T20 innings, only to find his mojo towards the end. He slammed the winnings 6 and took his team home.
Player of the Match: Phil Salt
Phil Salt (Welsh Fire Captain and POTM): "[On the conditions] Yeah, they certainly weren't easy. I think it was a good toss to win for us. Nice to know what we need to win and yeah happy with the outcome there.
[What was the key to assess the conditions?] I think I do get a bit of an advantage as I keep wickets. I get a good look at how it plays. However, you always have to give yourself a few balls. It is a cliche but true. In low scoring games you have to go deeper and deeper into the innings so you can have the impact you want.
[On the importance of Rachin Ravindra's knock] Yeah massive. At that stage of the innings, I had to drop anchor. So, for him to come in and take the pressure off me was important. We got the deficit down to run a ball by the time he got out.
[On the effort with the ball and in the field] I think we were electric in the field. The catching was excellent. It is a big ground here, but I felt the boys cut off the ropes pretty well. With the ball, I think we put it in the right areas. Did we do it for long enough? Were we smart with our bowling changes? That is something for the coaches to answer.
[On his experience as a captain] Just enjoyment I would say. I have been here for just under a week and played one game. I am really enjoying the group of lads we have got and the freshness of having a whole new group of teammates. Having a great time as a group so far."
[What was the key to assess the conditions?] I think I do get a bit of an advantage as I keep wickets. I get a good look at how it plays. However, you always have to give yourself a few balls. It is a cliche but true. In low scoring games you have to go deeper and deeper into the innings so you can have the impact you want.
[On the importance of Rachin Ravindra's knock] Yeah massive. At that stage of the innings, I had to drop anchor. So, for him to come in and take the pressure off me was important. We got the deficit down to run a ball by the time he got out.
[On the effort with the ball and in the field] I think we were electric in the field. The catching was excellent. It is a big ground here, but I felt the boys cut off the ropes pretty well. With the ball, I think we put it in the right areas. Did we do it for long enough? Were we smart with our bowling changes? That is something for the coaches to answer.
[On his experience as a captain] Just enjoyment I would say. I have been here for just under a week and played one game. I am really enjoying the group of lads we have got and the freshness of having a whole new group of teammates. Having a great time as a group so far."
Rachin Ravindra (Welsh Fire): (On his partnership with Phil Salt) "It was great to play a role in that partnership. I thought Salty batted brilliantly. Our communication out in the middle was really important. We realised it wasn't the free-flowing T20 wicket we're used to seeing, so it was about getting into good positions, running hard between the wickets, and supporting each other throughout the partnership. It was also great to have the skipper finish things off at the end.
(On the team's communication and preparation) It was something we spoke about as a group before the game. We knew communication was going to be really important, especially since we hadn't been together for a while. The good thing is that we've all been playing a lot of cricket, so the camaraderie came together pretty seamlessly. The support staff also played a big role in helping us settle in quickly.
(On the plans against Southern Brave) We knew the quality they have. Every team in this competition is strong, with great overseas and local players. We know what Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Adil Rashid can do because they've been performing for a long time. It was about being smart. I thought our bowlers did a fantastic job restricting them, which allowed us to play our game and take the chase a little deeper. Sometimes in small chases you can get carried away, but the maturity the boys showed was outstanding.
(On batting on a challenging surface with Phil Salt) We're all used to seeing the free-flowing Phil Salt, but the message was simple - play good cricket shots, trust our positions, hit the gaps, and run hard. The boundaries would come. Salty showed great maturity and leadership by keeping us accountable ball after ball. We knew it wasn't a pitch where you could just stand there and hit wherever you wanted, especially against a bowling attack like theirs, so adapting to the conditions was really important.
(On returning to Cardiff for next match) I'm super excited. I played an ODI there a few years ago and was lucky enough to win. It's a great place, and I've spent a bit of time around Cardiff as well. It'll be awesome to play in front of our home fans after starting the tournament with a win. It's such a tough competition, so getting off to a winning start is really pleasing, and hopefully we can keep the momentum going.
(On the team's spin options and squad balance) We're fortunate to have a lot of utility players. Matt Short can bowl quality off-spin, Root and Ben Kellaway can contribute as well, and I can chip in too. In England, the pitches don't usually offer huge turn, so having players who can give you a few overs depending on the match-ups is really valuable. If we get a surface that turns more, I'm sure you'll see a specialist spinner come into the side. Having that flexibility also gives us great batting depth, with someone like Marco Jansen batting at No. 8."
(On the team's communication and preparation) It was something we spoke about as a group before the game. We knew communication was going to be really important, especially since we hadn't been together for a while. The good thing is that we've all been playing a lot of cricket, so the camaraderie came together pretty seamlessly. The support staff also played a big role in helping us settle in quickly.
(On the plans against Southern Brave) We knew the quality they have. Every team in this competition is strong, with great overseas and local players. We know what Jofra Archer, Chris Jordan and Adil Rashid can do because they've been performing for a long time. It was about being smart. I thought our bowlers did a fantastic job restricting them, which allowed us to play our game and take the chase a little deeper. Sometimes in small chases you can get carried away, but the maturity the boys showed was outstanding.
(On batting on a challenging surface with Phil Salt) We're all used to seeing the free-flowing Phil Salt, but the message was simple - play good cricket shots, trust our positions, hit the gaps, and run hard. The boundaries would come. Salty showed great maturity and leadership by keeping us accountable ball after ball. We knew it wasn't a pitch where you could just stand there and hit wherever you wanted, especially against a bowling attack like theirs, so adapting to the conditions was really important.
(On returning to Cardiff for next match) I'm super excited. I played an ODI there a few years ago and was lucky enough to win. It's a great place, and I've spent a bit of time around Cardiff as well. It'll be awesome to play in front of our home fans after starting the tournament with a win. It's such a tough competition, so getting off to a winning start is really pleasing, and hopefully we can keep the momentum going.
(On the team's spin options and squad balance) We're fortunate to have a lot of utility players. Matt Short can bowl quality off-spin, Root and Ben Kellaway can contribute as well, and I can chip in too. In England, the pitches don't usually offer huge turn, so having players who can give you a few overs depending on the match-ups is really valuable. If we get a surface that turns more, I'm sure you'll see a specialist spinner come into the side. Having that flexibility also gives us great batting depth, with someone like Marco Jansen batting at No. 8."
That brings us to the end of our coverage for this match. For the first time since 2021, Welsh Fire beat Southern Brave, starting things off on the perfect note under new captain Phil Salt. Could this be their year? We will find out over the course of a month.
Earlier in the day, skipper Sophie Molineux has led Southern Brave Women to a win against Sophie Devine and co.
On Thursday, attention moves to Lord's where London Spirit take on a new look Manchester Super Giants, first in the women's fixture and then, in the men's match. Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Dewald Brevis are some of the big names that will be on show.
Do join us for it. For now, this is Darpan saying goodbye on the behalf of Manan, Dev, Aman, Paras and Manish! Sayonara!
Earlier in the day, skipper Sophie Molineux has led Southern Brave Women to a win against Sophie Devine and co.
On Thursday, attention moves to Lord's where London Spirit take on a new look Manchester Super Giants, first in the women's fixture and then, in the men's match. Grace Harris, Smriti Mandhana, Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone and Dewald Brevis are some of the big names that will be on show.
Do join us for it. For now, this is Darpan saying goodbye on the behalf of Manan, Dev, Aman, Paras and Manish! Sayonara!