Superb Short half-century guides Fire past Brave
Welsh Fire secured a six-wicket win over Southern Brave in The Hundred at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, powered by an unbeaten half-century from Matt Short. The victory lifted Fire to their fourth win in five matches, moving them level on points with leaders Trent Rockets, while Brave remain fourth in the table with two wins from six games.
Chasing 116 for victory, Fire lost captain Phil Salt early but recovered through a 56-run partnership between Joe Root and Short before both fell in quick succession. Short held firm, reaching his fifty from 37 balls with a scooped six off Jofra Archer, and combined with an unbeaten 23 from Tom Kohler-Cadmore to see Fire home with five balls to spare, finishing 116-4. Earlier, Brave had stumbled to 115-8 after losing both openers without scoring, with only Marcus Stoinis (55 from 39) offering resistance before falling to Sam Cook, who took 3-14.
- Welsh Fire beat Southern Brave by six wickets in The Hundred.
- Matt Short's unbeaten 60 sealed the chase of 116.
- Fire now level top with Trent Rockets; Brave stay fourth.
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The Hundred is a professional cricket competition in which each team faces 100 balls per innings. Welsh Fire are based in Cardiff and play their home matches at Sophia Gardens; Southern Brave represent the south coast of England and are based in Southampton.
In cricket, a team batting second tries to pass the first team’s total, while bowlers try to take wickets and limit the runs scored. The league table ranks teams by results, so wins affect their position and chances of reaching the later stages of the competition.