Welsh Fire captain Phil Salt didn’t simply win a game on Wednesday, he absolutely *exploded* into The Hundred season with a statement, slamming an unbeaten 47 runs to secure a six-wicket victory against Southern Brave in Southampton. What a start!
Salt’s History-Making Start
Salt’s performance wasn’t a one-off good game, no way. This dude is a certified legend in The Hundred, straight up. He’s the league’s all-time leading scorer, stacking up a ridiculous 1,138 runs over five seasons with his old squad, Manchester Originals. Now, he’s the captain for Fire, a team that, let’s be honest, finished dead last in both men’s and women’s tables last season. Talk about pressure! Salt’s clearly aiming to guide this Welsh franchise to their very first title, and leading from the front with a 47 not out to kick things off? That’s how you start that journey, no doubt.
How Fire Burned Bright and Brave Fought Back
Chasing 136, Fire started hot. Salt played the supporting role initially while fellow opener Matt Short blasted a quick 20. Then Salt took charge, building crucial partnerships with Joe Root, who added 14, and Rachin Ravindra, who chipped in 24. It came down to the wire, with nine runs needed from the final five balls. Asa Tribe stepped up, smashing Brave captain Chris Jordan’s first delivery for a four, before Salt, cool as you like, sealed the deal with a massive six two balls later. Talk about clutch!
Southern Brave didn’t go down without a fight though. Losing openers Jamie Smith and Ben McKinney for single figures was a tough start, but 18-year-old Thomas Rew stepped up big time, rebuilding their innings with a flashy 41 runs off only 30 balls. Even David Miller, who took a bit to get going, finished strong, leaving the pitch with a 35-ball 44 on the penultimate delivery. Fire’s bowlers, especially Marco Jansen with his 2-17, did a killer job keeping the Brave’s scoring in check, holding them to 135-7. In the end, it simply wasn’t enough.
The Hundred action keeps rolling on Thursday, and you know we’ll be watching. London Spirit is set to clash with Manchester Super Giants at Lord’s. The women’s game kicks off at 14:45 BST, with the men’s following at 18:30 BST. Fans can catch all the ball-by-ball commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds, and the BBC Sport website and app. It’s another chance to see some incredible cricket and what these teams are really made of early in the season, so don’t miss it!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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