Southern Brave secured their fourth win

Southern Brave secured their fourth win in five matches in this year's Hundred with a dominant performance against Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens.

James Vince played a crucial role, scoring 73 off 50 balls to set a target of 140. Welsh Fire struggled to chase the total and never looked like reaching it. With this victory, Southern Brave climbed to the top of the table.

Jofra Archer missed his second game of the tournament as the ECB managed his workload, but the Brave sailed to victory without him.

"It was nice to get the win," Vince said. "Batting first, it was challenging, but we didn't know how tough it would be until both sides had batted. The way we bowled, especially up front, was fantastic and proved it was a difficult pitch."

Welsh Fire won the toss and chose to field first, but Southern Brave's batters performed well in partnerships. Alex Davies, Leus du Plooy, and Kieron Pollard all contributed to Vince’s unbeaten 73, which included seven fours and three sixes.

Chris Jordan added a late flourish with a 98-metre six in the final 10 balls before being dismissed on the last delivery, caught by David Willey off David Payne’s bowling.

For Welsh Fire, Haris Rauf (2 for 22) and Matt Henry (1 for 20) were the standout bowlers. The Fire hoped for favourable conditions under the lights to aid their chase.

However, Luke Wells and Jonny Bairstow struggled against Akeal Hosein and Craig Overton, managing just 29 runs from the first 30 balls due to significant swing. Both openers fell quickly, and the Brave's bowlers dominated, with Tymal Mills (4 for 16), Danny Briggs (3 for 14), and Jordan (2 for 19) dismantling the Fire's lineup for a comfortable win.