Southampton sees mixed results for Welsh Fire and Southern Brave in Hundred openers

By George Aldridge — 22 July 2026 — 3 min read

The 2026 Hundred season commenced with contrasting fortunes for Welsh Fire and Southern Brave at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton on Wednesday. While the Welsh Fire men’s team secured a victory, the Welsh Fire Women‘s team faced a defeat against Southern Brave Women.

In the men’s competition, Welsh Fire defeated Southern Brave by six wickets. Welsh Fire captain Phil Salt played a crucial role, leading his team with an unbeaten 47 runs. This performance helped his side successfully chase down a target of 136 runs.

Men’s Match Highlights

Phil Salt, a former world number one-ranked T20 batter, is also the all-time leading scorer in The Hundred, having accumulated 1,138 runs over five seasons with his previous team, Manchester Originals. As the new captain for Welsh Fire, Salt aims to guide the Welsh franchise to their first title, after both their men’s and women’s teams finished at the bottom of the table last season.

During the chase, Salt initially supported fellow opener Matt Short, who scored a quick 20 runs. Salt then maintained the momentum through partnerships with Joe Root, who contributed 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 ball, and Salt sealed the victory with a six two balls later.

Batting first, Southern Brave posted a total of 135-7 from 100 balls. Openers Jamie Smith and Ben McKinney were dismissed for single figures. However, 18-year-old Thomas Rew helped rebuild the innings with a rapid 41 runs from 30 balls. David Miller also contributed significantly, finishing strongly with 44 runs from 35 balls before being dismissed on the penultimate delivery, elevating the total to 135-7.

The Fire bowlers, particularly Marco Jansen, who took 2-17, managed to control the scoring rate for much of the innings.

Women’s Match Overview

In the women’s competition, Southern Brave secured an eight-run victory against Welsh Fire Women. Southern Brave captain Sophie Molineux was a key performer, taking three wickets and scoring 22 runs from 16 balls in the first innings. The 2025 Hundred finalists set Welsh Fire a target of 127 runs.

Laura Wolvaardt was a standout batter for Southern Brave, making an unbeaten 45 runs from 36 deliveries. For Welsh Fire, Heather Graham delivered an impressive bowling performance, taking 4-19. Despite this, Welsh Fire appeared to be in control at one point, largely due to a strong innings from Georgia Voll, who scored 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‘ 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 commanding position. However, Molineux, alongside England‘s Lauren Bell, rallied her team, restricting Welsh Fire to 118 runs for eight wickets by the end of their innings. Molineux, who had already dismissed Ella McCaughan, then took the wicket of Sophie Devine, followed by a quick succession of wickets.

Tilly Corteen-Coleman dismissed Georgia Voll, 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 from 11 deliveries. Molineux snared Niamh Holland, and Corteen-Coleman bowled Heather Graham, ensuring Southern Brave‘s victory.

Lauren Bell commented on the team’s resilience, stating that dismissing Devine was a critical turning point. She acknowledged the initial nerves and dropped catches but highlighted the team’s ability to perform under pressure. The victory provided significant confidence for the team early in the tournament.

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.

Source: bbc.co.uk