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Welsh Fire play Birmingham Phoenix in the 12th game of the men's Hundred in 2022.
The match is due to start at 6pm BST on Saturday, August 13. This is just one of eight matches that are due to be played on an action-packed weekend for The Hundred.
Sophia Gardens in Cardiff is set to host this game. The venue seems to favour teams batting second, as 75 per cent of teams chasing have gone on to win the match.
Welsh Fire have had a difficult start to the tournament, losing both of their first two matches, against Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles. Despite the strong batting lineup they possess, they have struggled to post big scores, which has ultimately led to their downfall. England No.3 Ollie Pope will be hoping for a return to form before the start of the Test series against South Africa, after scoring only 10 in the opening game and then being bowled for a four-ball duck in his last match. Australian spinner Adam Zampa, who was tipped to be a key player for the Fire, has only picked up one wicket so far.
Birmingham Phoenix look to be in fine form after thrashing Southern Brave by 53 runs in what was a rerun of last year's final. Will Smeed made history by becoming the first player to score a century in The Hundred, playing an unbeaten innings of 101 off just 50 balls. Henry Brookes also took an outstanding five-for in Phoenix's impressive display and, after a shaky start, it feels as if they are strong contenders.
The Welsh Fire will look to get as much use out of Zampa before he is set to leave for international duty with Australia. They will also lose Pope to the England Test side in the next few weeks when they play South Africa.
Birmingham Phoenix seamer Adam Milne is struggling with an Achilles issue.
Will Smeed hit The Hundred's first hundred in his most recent outing [Getty Images]
All eyes will be on Smeed to see if he can reproduce the same exhilarating performance that brought him a ton last time out. He will be supported by Moeen Ali and Liam Livingstone, who have both made impressive starts to their campaigns.
The bowling attack for Fire are in desperate need of a good performance, as they will need to make the most of their overseas players before they return to their international squads. Zampa will be looking to make his mark on the tournament, and the perfect solution would be to skittle Phoenix's top order. Fans might just be feeling that an upset could be on the cards.
There are limited tickets available for this match.
It’s going to be another hot day in Cardiff in what looks to be a scorching weekend. The Met Office has announced an amber weather warning for extreme heat.
Welsh Fire: Joe Clarke, Tom Banton, Adam Zampa, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius (replaced Naseem Shah - withdrew August 4), Sam Hain, Jake Ball, Josh Cobb, Matt Critchley, Ben Duckett, Leus du Plooy, Ryan Higgins, David Payne, Ollie Pope, Jacob Bethell, Noor Ahmad, George Scrimshaw
Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson, Timm van der Gugten (replaced Olly Stone - injured), Brett D'Oliveira (replaced Tom Abell - injured), Moeen Ali, Chris Benjamin, Henry Brookes, Miles Hammond, Benny Howell, Liam Livingstone, Adam Milne, Will Smeed, Chris Woakes, Graeme van Buuren, Imran Tahir, Tom Helm (replaced Matthew Fisher), Dan Mousley
Welsh Fire: Tom Banton, Joe Clarke, Sam Hain, Ben Duckett, David Miller, Ollie Pope, Ryan Higgins, Matt Critchley, David Payne, George Scrimshaw, Adam Zampa
Birmingham Phoenix: Will Smeed, Matthew Wade, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Tom Abell, Chris Benjamin, Benny Howell, Kane Richardson, Tom Helm, Henry Brookes, Imran Tahir
Joe Clarke and Welsh Fire will be seeking an improved display [Getty Images]
Birmingham Phoenix seem to be the hot favourites with the bookies, and you won't get much better than 7/11 on an away win. Welsh Fire's odds are as long as 25/19.
The favourites are obviously Birmingham Phoenix, who breezed past last year's winners and have announced themselves as a seriously competitive team in the tournament. Welsh Fire have struggled to find any form with the bat and ball, but it would be the story of The Hundred so far if they were to cause an upset.
Sky Sports has live coverage of the match on their dedicated cricket channel (Sky 404, Virgin 504).
Now TV offer daily access to Sky Sports for £11.99 or monthly access for £33.99.
On radio, Test Match Special will have ball-by-ball commentary on 5Live Sports Extra
The Cricketer will have post-match analysis and reaction.
Visit The Cricketer's Hundred Hub for the latest news, team guides, competition information, squad listings and analysis.
North America - Willow tv
Caribbean - ESPN
Sub-Saharan Africa - SuperSport
MENA - beIN Sports
Australia - Fox
New Zealand - Spark
Indian Subcontinent - FanCode
Posted by Coleman Gordon on 31/07/2023 at 07:19
With the weather forecast predicting another scorching day in Cardiff, it's not just the players but also the fans who will be feeling the heat of this thrilling contest. Let's buckle up for an enthralling encounter in The Hundred!
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