The Hundred males’s competitors, Utilita Bowl
Southern Courageous 135-7 (100 balls): Miller 44 (35); Jansen 2-17
Welsh Fireplace 138-4 (98 balls): Salt 47* (37); Chaudhary 2-19
Welsh Fireplace received by six wickets
Welsh Fireplace captain Phil Salt led from the entrance as his unbeaten 47 helped them start the 2026 Hundred season with a six-wicket win in opposition to Southern Courageous in Southampton.
Former world quantity one-ranked T20 batter Salt is The Hundred’s all-time main scorer, having hit 1,138 runs in 5 seasons together with his former aspect Manchester Originals.
Having signed for Fire as their captain earlier than this yr’s competitors, he’s aiming to information the Welsh franchise, who completed backside of each the boys’s and girls’s desk final season, to their first-ever title.
Chasing 136 on Wednesday, Salt performed the supporting function early on as fellow opener Matt Brief struck a brisk 20 earlier than he stored the guests on target via partnerships with Joe Root (14) and Rachin Ravindra (24).
With 9 runs required from the ultimate 5 balls, Asa Tribe hit Courageous captain Chris Jordan’s first ball for 4 earlier than Salt sealed the victory with a six two balls later.
Batting first, Courageous misplaced openers Jamie Smith and Ben McKinney for single figures however 18-year-old Thomas Rew helped rebuild their innings with a flashy 41 from 30 balls.
The Fireplace bowlers, led by Marco Jansen who completed with 2-17, stored the scoring in verify for a lot of the innings.
David Miller struggled to seek out his rhythm firstly of his innings however completed strongly for Courageous earlier than departing within the penultimate supply with a 35-ball 44, which lifted the hosts to 135-7, which in the end proved not sufficient.
