*THE HUNDRED MENS COMPETITION- WELSH FIRE VS SOUTHERN BRAVE MATCH 5 2023 PREVIEW*
*THE BUILD UP:*
*THE BRAVES SEEK SOME WINNING MOMEMTUM BACK:*
Losing the opener of a tournament is an unfortunate sight and an unforgettable one, too. When you lose by a close margin, the regret tends to grow and im sure this would have been the feeling in the minds of majority of the players in the Southern Brave camp. They had bowled well with Overton, Jordan and Mills the usual suspects leading the chart but their batters choked and the fact that no one crossed 30 on what was expected to be a decent track to bat on, was surprising and baffling at best. Today gives them an opportunity to come back with their batting stocks and decide to put up their first points on the board.
The Welsh Fire on the other hand experienced success in a shortened Hundred game which lasted just 40 balls per innings. Their batters did a fantastic job despite all the rains to get to 94 off 40, with L Wells top scoring with a well crafted 57. What was remarkable was how they started their bowling innings with pace sensation Shaheen Shah Afridi rocking the Originals early with two in swinging Yorkers that trapped them in front. The inputs of Willey and Rauf only made it stronger for the Welsh Fire who registered their first win in no time after a disappointing last season. A bowling unit like this is what all teams dream of and now that the Welsh Fire have it, the Southern Brave will only have to be vary of it.
*WELSH FIRE PROBABLE XI:*
Tom Abell (c), Joe Clarke, Stephen Eskinazi, Glenn Phillips (wk), Luke Wells, David Willey, David Payne, Roelof van der Merwe, Haris Rauf, Ben Green, Shaheen Afridi
Though a high scoring affair is expected, the likes of Rauf and Shaheen does give Welsh the edge and the much needed advantage. They have grown up playing on flat decks in Pakistan and know the art of containing the batters on a belter and picking wickets up in the process. Despite the opposition having the likes of Allen, Conway and David, I sense trouble coming their way when this Pakistani Duo steps up and comes clutch.
Luke Wells and Phillips who enjoyed a good first game would be eyeing to push this momentum forward. Coupled with Joe Clarke who’s known to be a special player, the Welsh batting looks settled and it would be interesting to see their game plan against the likes of Jordan and Overton who were very impressive last game.
*SOUTHERN BRAVE PROBABLE XI:*
Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), James Vince (c), Leus du Plooy, Tim David, James Fuller, George Garton, Chris Jordan, Rehan Ahmed, Craig Overton, Tymal Mills
Though this opening partnership failed to click the last time, producing mediocre performances, it remains interesting to see how they would tackle the star studded bowling lineup of the Welsh Fire. Devon Conway is a classy player who doesn’t like to stay quiet for long- he is Aggresive when required and loves picking up the gaps in the most awkward of situations and field positions. He enjoyed a good stint at the IPL and don’t expect him to keep his bat rusted for long. In the blink of an eye, he can construct his innings and top score.
The pace lineup of Southern Brave offers depth and did well as a group in the previous game as well. They would look to keep building upon that accomplissement and choke the opposition down with some tight bowling. Jordan was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets up his sleeves and used his variations nicely in order to crack the code. The English pacer however is high variance and a struggling performance could just be round the corner.
*MY PREDICTIONS:*
*FOR WELSH FIRE:*
Highest run getter- Glenn Phillips
Highest wicket taker- Shaheen Shah Afridi
*FOR SOUTHERN BRAVE:*
Highest run getter- Devon Conway/James Vince
Highest wicket taker- Tymal Mills/Chris Jordan
*FOR THE GAME:*
Southern Brave to win