Welsh Fire secured a six-wicket victory over Southern Brave at the Utilita Bowl in Southampton, successfully chasing down a 136-run target to open their Hundred campaign. Newly appointed captain Phil Salt hit a six on the 98th ball to officially end the match, pushing his team to 138-4 with just two deliveries remaining.
The result ends a brutal eight-match losing streak for Welsh Fire against their regional rivals. It also signals an immediate turnaround for a franchise that finished at the absolute bottom of the standings last season.
Salt anchored the chase from start to finish. He remained unbeaten on 47 off 37 deliveries to secure the six-wicket victory. The performance extends his record as the competition’s all-time leading run-scorer, pushing his career total past 1,138 runs across his five previous seasons with the Manchester Originals.
Southern Brave batted first and managed 135-7. Their innings relied heavily on an unexpected 41-run effort from 18-year-old Thomas Rew. Veteran David Miller added a late offensive surge, putting up 44 runs off 35 balls.
But the Welsh Fire bowling attack suffocated the top order early. Marco Jansen emerged as the standout bowler for the visitors. He heavily restricted the Brave’s scoring opportunities and finished his spell with highly economical figures of 2-17.