Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, 2nd Match, The Hundred Men's Competition 2026 - CommentarySOU vs WEF, 2nd Match, The Hundred Men's Competition 2026 - Commentary

That's all from Southampton. Welsh Fire kick off their campaign with a six-wicket win over Southern Brave. The Hundred returns tomorrow with another exciting clash as London Spirit take on Manchester Super Giants at Lord's, so do join us then. Until next time, goodbye and cheers!!

Phil Salt | Player of the Match: [On chasing down 136 in difficult batting conditions] Yeah, they certainly weren’t easy. I feel like winning the toss was important for us because, chasing the target, we knew exactly what we needed. So I’m really pleased with the outcome. [On assessing the conditions while batting] I think I get a bit of an advantage, to be honest, because I keep wickets, so I get a good look at the surface. But you always have to give yourself a few balls. It’s a bit of a cliche, but in most Hundred games like that, you’ve got to bat deeper into the innings so you can have the impact you want. [On Rachin Ravindra’s crucial partnership] At that stage of the innings we all understood that I had to drop anchor, so for him to come in and take the pressure off me like that was huge. We got the deficit down from about 25 to around a run a ball by the time we got out, and that was a really important partnership for us as a team. [On the team’s bowling and fielding performance] I think we were electric in the field. There was some really good catching on display. It’s a big ground, but I thought the boys got off the rope really well today. Bowling-wise, I think we put the ball in the right areas. Whether we did it for long enough, or whether we were smart enough in knowing when to go to different options to shut them down, that’s probably one for the coaches. I still feel we’ve got a little bit more in the tank in both departments. [On captaining a new franchise in The Hundred] I’d say just enjoyment. I’ve only been here for just under a week and played one game, but I’m really enjoying the group of lads we’ve got. There’s a freshness about it with a whole new set of teammates, and we’re having a good time together so far as a group.

21:21 local, 20:21 GMT, 01:51 IST: Welsh Fire had to work a little harder than they would have liked, but they eventually got over the line to kick off their campaign with a six-wicket win. Chasing 136, Matt Short gave them early momentum before Daniel Worrall ended his brisk stay. Phil Salt then took charge of the chase, batting with superb control through the middle overs while Joe Root and later Rachin Ravindra kept him company in useful partnerships. Brave sensed an opening when Nikhil Chaudhary struck twice in quick succession to remove Ravindra and Cox, and Adil Rashid followed it up with a miserly set that briefly brought the equation into focus. Jofra Archer then produced an outstanding penultimate set, conceding just five runs and forcing Welsh Fire to get 10 off the last six balls. But Chris Jordan couldn't quite close it out. On a surface that never allowed batters to dominate for long, Salt's composed unbeaten knock proved to be the difference. Stick around for the post match reactions...

4 from 3 now. Remember, a tie will be a tie and there will be no superover..