Welsh Fire kept their slim playoff hopes alive at Hundred 2025 as they finally registered a win and it was an impressive win against home team Birmingham Phoenix. Welsh Fire were determined to do well and played better than their opponents in all facets of the game to beat the home team in Edgbaston. They first restricted Birmingham Phoenix 138/9 in 100 balls with Chris Green taking a 3-wicket haul while Riley Meredith and Benjamin Kellaway supported him well with 2 wickets apiece.
In the chase of 139, Welsh Fire rode on a couple of 40s from Stephen Eskinazi and Steve Smith who remained unbeaten till the end, and a nice 35 from Jonny Bairstow to get over the line in 89 balls as Welsh Fire won the contest by 8 wickets with 11 balls left. With this win, they kept their playoffs hopes alive as all teams are in contention for the 3 playoff spots going into the last 8 games of the league stage of Hundred 2025.
Chris Green’s 3-wicket haul restricts Birmingham Phoenix to 138/9.Â
Put into bat first, Will Smeed and Ben Duckett came out to bat for Birmingham Phoenix while David Payne had ball in hand for Welsh Fire. Smeed made his intentions clear as he got off the mark with a boundary over the gully region. Ben Duckett got himself going as well as he got off the mark by getting a boundary through midwicket. Payne bowled the next set as well and kept things under check.
Riley Meredith came onto bowl next. Meredith got rid of Duckett for 5 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name as his poor run in Hundred 2025 continues. Riley bowled a low full toss outside off-stump which shaped back in as Duckett tried to drive it away but got a thick inside edge that deflected back onto the off-stump. Joe Clarke came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway.
Ajeet Dale came onto bowl next as Clarke greeted him with consecutive boundaries. Smeed joined in the act as he too hit a boundary off Dale. Clarke then took the attack to Meredith hitting him away for a boundary. Smeed too was not left far behind as he too hit Riley for a boundary in the same set. After 25 balls of powerplay, Birmingham Phoenix were 42/1.
Saif Zaib was introduced after the powerplay and was greeted with the maximum from Joe Clarke. Benjamin Kellaway came into the attack on debut and got the breakthrough getting rid of Joe Clarke for 24 off 12 balls with 3 fours and a maximum to his name. Kellaway bowled a back of a length delivery on the off-stump, Clarke pulled it but the ball got the top edge to go straight up in the air. Kellaway took a few paces forward in his follow-through and took the catch. Captain Liam Livingstone came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Chris Green came into the attack and got the breakthrough getting rid of Will Smeed for 23 off 17 balls with 3 boundaries to his name. Green bowled a length delivery on the stumps, Smeed pulled it and looked to deposit over deep midwicket but failed to get the distance required as the ball flew straight to the debutant Kellaway. Jacob Bethell came to the crease next.
Livingstone launched Zaib over long-on for a huge maximum. Bethell then joined the party as he hit Dale for a boundary and two balls later hit him for the maximum. Dale got rid of Livingstone for 16 off 9 balls with 2 sixes to his name. Length delivery from Dale on the off-stump, Livingstone attempted a big heave over the leg side but got a thick edge to Bairstow who does the rest. Louis Kimber came out to bat next. After 50 balls at the halfway stage of the chase, Birmingham Phoenix were 76/4.
Kimber punched Green for a boundary at covers. Kellaway though was not to be left behind as he got rid of Kimber for 6 off 7 balls with a boundary to his name. Kellaway bowled a half-tracker slanting across the right-hander from around the wicket. Kimber stood tall and tried to whack it towards midwicket but failed to get the desired distance. Green took the catch at deep midwicket. Benny Howell came out to bat next. Meredith came back and bowled a tight set. Zaib too kept things tight as Welsh Fire tightened the screws. Kellaway also bowled a decent set as a review was burnt against Bethell by the fielding side.
After 75 balls, Birmingham Phoenix were 95/5. Bethell launched Green straight down the ground for the maximum as the 100 came up in 76 balls. Kellaway made a great effort in the deep but failed to hold onto Bethell’s catch in the boundary off Payne. Howell then hit Payne for a boundary before Bethell joined in and hit the bowler for consecutive sixes to give momentum to the innings.
Meredith soon got rid of Howell for 12 off 15 balls with a boundary to his name. Fuller length ball following the batter, Howell looked to scoop it towards fine leg and shuffled to the off-side a tad early. The batter went through with the shot as the ball went flat and hard to the fine leg fence. Payne ran a long way to his right before diving to take a screamer of a catch. Adam Milne came out to bat next. Milne was run out by Kellaway once again by running to his left at square leg region picked up the ball and then threw down the stumps as the Kiwi bowler was short of his crease. Tim Southee came out to bat next.
Bethell managed to get a boundary off Meredith as the bowler finished his spell with figures of 2/25 in 20 balls. Green then got rid of Jacob Bethell for 38 off 28 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name. Shorter side of good length hurled at off-stump from around the wicket. Bethell rocked back and pulled it straight to the fielder at long-on. Trent Boult came out to bat next. Boult managed to hit a maximum off Green but Green had the last laugh getting rid of Boult for 7 off 3 balls with a maximum to his name.
Green fired in the yorker length ball fired at the stumps, Boult swung hard only to connect with air as the ball clattered onto the stumps as Green ended with a 3-wicket haul. Southee remained unbeaten on 1 off 1 ball as Birmingham Phoenix finished with 138/9 in 100 balls. 6 extras given by the fielding side.
Chris Green was the pick of the bowlers for Welsh Fire with figures of 3/27 in 20 balls. He was ably supported with the ball and in the field by Benjamin Kellaway on debut as he finished with 2/10 in 15 balls. Riley Meredith chipped in with 2/25 in 20 balls. Ajeet Dale got a wicket with his 1/26 in 10 balls and there was a run out in the innings as well. David Payne gave away 31 runs in 20 balls while Saif Zaib gave away 19 runs in 15 balls. This meant Welsh Fire needed 139 to win off 100 balls for their second win this season.
Steve Smith & Stephen Eskinazi Sparkling 40s take Welsh Fire Over the Line.Â
Chasing 139 for the win, Stephen Eskinazi and Steve Smith came out to open the batting for Welsh Fire while Trent Boult had ball in hand for Birmingham Phoenix. Eskinazi made his intentions clear as he struck consecutive boundaries off Boult in the first set. Adam Milne came onto bowl next and bowled a tidy set. Eskinazi managed to get a boundary off a poor delivery from Boult. Eskinazi then took on Milne and creamed Milne through extra cover for a boundary.
Steve Smith joined the party soon as he miscued a boundary before hoicking a maximum over long leg of Milne. Chris Wood came in to bowl the final set of powerplay as Eskinazi carved him away for a boundary. After 25 balls of powerplay in the chase, Welsh Fire were 41/0. Benny Howell came onto bowl after powerplay as there was a missed stumping with Eskinazi getting a reprieve. He added insult to injury by hammering a boundary to backward point.
Liam Livingstone brought himself into the attack as Smith whipped him away for a boundary. Howell bowled a decent set while the returning Chris Wood was greeted with a boundary from Eskinazi. Wood gave away 4 leg byes to the batting side. Howell finally broke the opening stand getting rid of Eskinazi for 42 off 29 balls with 7 fours to his name.
Howell bowled a pace-off delivery on a fuller length at the stumps, Eskinazi gave himself some room before he slammed it towards the bowler’s left. Howell got his hands behind it and the ball stuck in hands. Jonny Bairstow walked out to bat next. After 50 balls of the chase, Welsh Fire were 74/1 and needed a further 65 runs off the back 50 balls with 9 wickets in hand. Livingstone bowled a decent set trying to keep things tight.
Tim Southee came into the attack and bowled a tidy set. Bairstow then took the attack to the returning Trent Boult smashing him for a boundary and a maximum while Boult in between gave away 4 leg byes as well. Soon, Welsh Fire reached 100 in 67 balls. Bairstow was in a hurry as he hit back-to-back boundaries of Livingstone. After 75 balls, Welsh Fire were well-placed at 112/1 and now required 27 more runs off 25 balls.
Southee bowled a decent set trying to build the pressure on batting side. Bairstow then took on Milne and deposited over deep square leg for the maximum but Milne got a consolation wicket getting rid of Bairstow for 35 off 21 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Milne bowled a length delivery on the stumps, Bairstow missed the flick and the ball snuck through to crash onto the stumps. Skipper Tom Abell came to the crease next.
Smith decided to launch Milne for the maximum over deep backward square leg. Smith then hit a boundary through midwicket off Southee. The winning runs came off the blade of Tom Abell as he hit Southee for a boundary through deft touch at third man. Smith remained unbeaten on 47 off 36 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name while Abell remained unbeaten on 6 off 3 balls with a boundary to his name. 10 extras given by the fielding side as Welsh Fire got over the line with 11 balls left.
Adam Milne got a wicket while Benny Howell got a wicket as the rest went wicketless and looked ineffective on this pitch and it was a cruise for Welsh Fire. Welsh Fire with this win managed to climb up one place up to 7th place with 2 wins and 4 losses and have 8 points to their kitty after playing 6 games while Birmingham Phoenix stays in 5th place with the same record as their opponents. Benjamin Kellaway was awarded the Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling and fielding efforts in the game.
What Lies Ahead.Â
We have a double header coming your way on this Super Saturday in Hundred 2025. First up, we will be at Leeds in Headingley for Northern Superchargers hosting defending champions Oval Invincibles at 7 PM IST. This will be followed by London Spirit taking on Southern Brave at 10:30 PM IST from the Home of Cricket at Lord’s, London. All 8 teams have played 6 games each with the final two rounds of fixtures remaining now.
Important matches and points up for grabs as teams will jostle for the top 3 positions in the race to playoffs as all teams are still in the shout. Let us wait and watch for Super Saturday has instore for all of us.
Also Read:Â Hundred 2025: Oval Invincibles Consolidate Top Spot After Another Impressive Win.