The Hundred: WEF vs SOB Match Report

Jonny Bairstow and James Neesham guided Welsh Fire (WEF) to their second victory in the Hundred after an 18-run win over Southern Brave (SOB) in Cardiff. The England international hit a fantastic 72 off 39 balls, while Neesham wrecked the visitors’ chase with a three-wicket haul. It was the second straight defeat for Southern Brave in the tournament.

Welsh Fire, asked to bat first, made a brisk start yet again. Danny Briggs, who opened the bowling, was taken to the cleaners twice by Tom Banton. He also struck three fours off Tymal Mills’ second set of five balls. However, Jake Lintott, in his first ball, dismissed the 22-year-old for 34.

For the second match in a row, Bairstow and Ben Duckett stitched together an excellent partnership. Lintott was at the receiving end of Duckett’s fury. Meanwhile, Bairstow picked up the pace and scored 22 runs from Colin de Grandhomme’s second set of five balls. They added 116 runs from 63 balls. The hosts lost a flurry of wickets at the death but still managed to post a daunting total.

Chasing 165, Southern Brave got off to a flying start. James Vince and Quinton de Kock scored 40 runs in the first 14 balls. But David Payne grabbed the wicket of De Kock after the South African holed out to Banton. Vince continued to find gaps, and Conway took the attack to Qais Ahmad.

Welsh Fire found a way back into the game when Jake Ball removed Conway. Five balls later, Neesham picked up the wicket of Vince, and the Southampton-based franchise lost Grandhomme, too, leaving them 96/4 in 63 balls. Ross Whiteley and Alex Davies added 28 runs for the fifth wicket, but the pair’s dismissal ended Southern Brave’s chances of a victory. Neesham claimed three wickets and conceded just five runs in 15 balls. Left-arm pacer Payne, too, was excellent.

WEF 165/4 in 100 balls (J Bairstow 72, B Duckett 53; D Briggs 2/33)

SOB 147/7 in 100 balls (J Vince 40; J Neesham 3/5, D Payne 2/30)

Player of the Match

Bairstow was at it again; an innings of the highest quality steered his side to a big total. The 31-year-old, who hammered five sixes, thrashed Mills and Grandhomme. After scoring just 19 runs off the first 20 balls, the 31-year-old made 52 in the next 19 deliveries. It was a perfect example of pacing an innings in the shorter formats.

Top Fantasy XI

J Bairstow (107 pts), J Neesham (91 pts), B Duckett (74 pts), D Payne (54 pts), T Banton (54 pts), D Briggs (53 pts), J Vince (50 pts), C Jordan (46 pts), R Whiteley (33 pts), J Ball (31 pts), Q de Kock (31 pts)

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