Welsh Fire complete wooden spoon double

For the second time in the five editions, both Cardiff-based sides finish bottom of the women's and men's tables

ECB Media | 28/08/2025 at 21:21

Southampton: Southern Brave 167-7, Welsh Fire 163-6 - Southern Brave won by four runs

Welsh Fire completed the wooden spoon double in The Hundred, as the men followed the women in being left rock bottom of the table after the group stage.

For the fifth straight year, the Cardiff-based men's team failed to progress to the knockout stage after their sixth defeat in eight games to Southern Brave.

Jason Roy (70 off 39) rolled back the years to secure fourth position for the Brave.

Fire chose to field and with the Brave at 10 for 2 off 14 balls, the Welsh side were delighted.

But Roy was at his belligerent best, counterattacking brilliantly, twice hitting successive sixes to get himself going and bringing up his 50 from 30 balls. David Payne (2 for 17) used his smarts to do for him in the end, but despite 30 from 21 from Leus du Plooy, it took a rambunctious finish from Craig Overton and Jordan Thompson to take the home side up to an impressive looking 167 for 7.

In reply, Overton took two scalps in the first five balls, one of them the big wicket of Steve Smith, snapped up by Roy at extra cover. With the score at 24 for 3 after the powerplay, the Fire's hopes seemed all but extinguished.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Ben Kellaway soaked up the pressure and then exploded, hitting shots all around the ground to bring the Fire right back into things.

Kohler-Cadmore matched Roy in striking a brace of sixes, and Kellaway lost nothing by comparison, the two combining for 81 in 39 balls and leaving the match in the balance.

In an innings where 40 overs of spin had gone for 85 runs, it was left to seamers Thompson and Tymal Mills to bowl the last 20 with 36 needed, and their death bowling skills were evident, with a succession of yorkers and slower balls.

With the equation at 18 from five, a no ball and a six made the Fire favourites, but then Thompson bowled Kohler-Cadmore (84 off 46) to leave seven needed off two.

Another nailed yorker, with six required off the last, was enough to see the Brave home.