Captain Salt leads Fire to victory against Brave
Welsh Fire captain Phil Salt scored an unbeaten 47 to guide his team to a six-wicket win over Southern Brave in the opening match of the 2026 Hundred season.
Salt's Performance
Welsh Fire captain Phil Salt played a pivotal role, scoring an unbeaten 47 to lead his team to a six-wicket victory against Southern Brave in the opening match of the 2026 Hundred season in Southampton. Salt, the tournament's all-time leading scorer with 1,138 runs across five seasons with Manchester Originals, joined Fire as captain this year. His goal is to help the Welsh franchise, which finished bottom of both the men's and women's competitions last season, secure their first-ever title.
Match Summary
Chasing 136 for victory, Fire relied on opener Matt Short for a brisk 20 early on. Salt then anchored the chase through partnerships with Joe Root (14) and Rachin Ravindra (24). Needing nine runs from the final five balls, Asa Tribe hit Brave captain Chris Jordan's first delivery for a four, and Salt sealed the win with a six two balls later.
Brave's Innings
Batting first, Southern Brave lost openers Jamie Smith and Ben McKinney for single figures. However, 18-year-old Thomas Rew rebuilt the innings with a flashy 41 off 30 balls. Fire bowlers, led by Marco Jansen (2-17), kept the scoring in check for most of the innings. David Miller struggled early but finished strongly with 44 off 35 balls before being dismissed off the penultimate delivery, lifting Brave to 135-7, which ultimately proved insufficient.
