The Hundred Men’s 2022, Match 26, Review: Welsh Fire's horrid run continues as Northern Superchargers register comfortable win

Welsh Fire succumbed to yet another defeat in their Hundred Men‘s 2022 campaign, against the Northern Superchargers in Match 26 at the Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. With the win, the Northern Superchargers have moved above the Southern Brave in the points table while Welsh Fire remain winless.

Earlier in the game, Welsh Fire opted to bat first, and the move did not work well as Joe Clarke, Tom Banton, Matthew Critchley and David Miller were all removed in quick successions, leaving their side tottering at 53/4. The run rate was quite down, and the stitching work had to be done by the likes of Ben Duckett and Leus du Plooy. Duckett got the innings going with a handy partnership and reached a hard-fought half-century.

De Plooy made a useful contribution, and he remained unbeaten on 21 off 15 balls with one six in his innings. In the end, Duckett’s unbeaten 64 off 48 balls comprising of eight fours could take Welsh to only 114/4 in their innings and it never looked like challenging the Northern Superchargers’ batting lineup. Craig Miles was the pick of the bowlers for the Northern Superchargers with 2/30, while Adil Rashid and David Wiese picked up one wicket each.

Adam Lyth powers Northern Superchargers to victory

In reply, the Northern Superchargers openers were off to a terrific start, with both Adam Lyth and Faf du Plessis getting off the blocks quickly. Lyth was the aggressor among the two and missed out on a well-deserved half-century by just three runs, while du Plessis’s 24-ball 32 included two fours and two sixes. The opening partnership of 75 left the Welsh Fire Bowlers with no answers despite Ish Sodhi’s impressive spell of spin bowling.

The equation got easier and easier after the early assault, and the Northern Superchargers cruised to victory with six wickets in hand and nine balls left. Apart from Sodhi’s 2 for 14, Critchley picked up one wicket for the Welsh Fire, and there weren’t many positives for the Welsh Fire side.