David Warner helps London Spirit get off the mark as Jonny Bairstow catches fire

Bairstow crushed an unbeaten 86 from 50 balls, but Luke Wood's tight final set of five saw Welsh Fire denied

ECB Media | 09/08/2025 at 21:02

Cardiff: London Spirit 163-5, Welsh Fire 155-6 - London Spirit won by eight runs

David Warner made his first half-century in The Hundred to see London Spirit take the spoils against Welsh Fire in Cardiff, despite a thrilling 86 from Jonny Bairstow in response.

Like a boxer on the ropes, Bairstow sat back and absorbed the blows as his Fire team fell to 55 for 6 at the halfway point of their reply, before launching a high-octane counter-attack that took Fire so close to a famous victory.

Bairstow's 50-ball innings contained six sixes and saw 70 runs plundered from balls 65 to 95, leaving 17 required off the last five of the innings.

As the Sophia Gardens crowd belted out 'Wales, Wales, Wales!' it appeared that Bairstow – ably supported by Chris Green – would pull off the comeback, but Luke Wood got Spirit over the line.

Warner's innings was a different affair, but was equally effective in driving the visitors to a formidable total – the Australian legend using his experience and nous to work out a defendable total on a track that had something for the bowlers.

With the ball, before the Bairstow show, Liam Dawson and Richard Gleeson were both parsimonious, and though they may briefly have feared that their hard work would be undone, it was runs on the board that emerged victorious in the end, Kane Williamson and Justin Langer getting off and running and consigning Fire to a second defeat in two.