James Vince sees Southern Brave off to a fast start in Hundred title defence

Brave captain Vince was the Vitality Blast's leading scorer with 678 runs and began the second edition of the Hundred with 71 off 40 balls, as the home side won by nine wickets

Southampton: Welsh Fire 107-7, Southern Brave 109-1 - Southern Brave won by nine wickets

Scorecard

James Vince continued his excellent white-ball form as Southern Brave began their Hundred defence with a nine-wicket schooling of Welsh Fire.

Brave captain Vince was the Vitality Blast's leading scorer with 678 runs and began the second edition of the Hundred with 71 off 41 balls, with opening partner Alex Davies hitting a complementary 26.

Earlier, Fire's 2021 captain Ben Duckett struck 40 off 31 balls, with the next highest score just 11, as Fire struggled to a below-par 107 in their 100 balls.

Craig Overton dominated the top order with 2 for 21 before Chris Jordan picked up 2 for 16 before Vince, Davies and Marcus Stonis were all the batters needed to finish the job with 31 balls to spare.

Vince had come off the back of a bombastic Vitality Blast campaign with Hampshire Hawks – where he also captained his county to their third title.

It was imperative not to pass up the opportunity to dismiss him early. Unfortunately, Ryan Higgins fluffed his chance and dropped Vince to the boundary with the fifth ball.

^{Welsh Fire's Ollie Pope reacts to being bowled by Craig Overton [Getty Images]}

A pair of boundaries through midwicket and point quickly pronounced the error, as Davies struck back-to-back fours off David Payne – the second a stunning straight drive.

Davies swatted a short delivery from Ryan Higgins to fall with 36 runs needed in 51 balls while Vince quickly cut firmly to bring up his half-century in 31 balls.

He waited until he was on 55 before slog-sweeping his first six before Brave quickly scuttled to victory to maintain their perfect Ageas Bowl record - Vince bettering his best of 60 in 2021.

Earlier, Brave won the toss, decided to bowl and cut the Fire top order down to 31 for 3 in the 25-ball powerplay, after a firework display had delayed proceedings.

Brave were without lightning quicks Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills and George Garton for various injury and illness-related issues but it mattered little thanks to their depth.

^{Sam Hain and Welsh Fire will need to move on from a disappointing loss [Getty Images]}

Overton had Joe Clarke stretching to miscue to cover for a four-ball duck and Tom Banton hoicking to deep square leg, either side of 41-year-old Michael Hogan bowling Ollie Pope – who missed a reverse sweep.

Duckett and Sam Hain put on 25, the inning's highest stand, but wickets continued to fall regularly. Jake Lintott spun his way into the attack and his googly tickled Hain’s glove with his second ball, while 17-year-old leg spinner Rehan Ahmed and James Fuller's analysis while wicketless went at under a run-a-ball.

Fuller got the final touch to a chaotic run out to see Josh Cobb perish and Quinton de Kock’s stand-in easily held on to Ryan Higgins on the square boundary.

Left-handed Duckett held things together, although he survived a run out and dropped catch but dominated on the sweep and laps as all five of his boundaries came behind the wicket.

He lobbed Chris Jordan to mid-on before seeing the teenage Afghan sensation Noor Ahmad jab the first, and only, six of the innings, although it was never going to be enough.