Welsh Fire were among the decent performers in The Hundred 2023, ending in the fourth position on the points table.
Captain: Tom Abell
Coach: Mike Hussey
Previous edition: 4th
Title: None
Welsh Fire were among the decent performers in The Hundred 2023, ending in the fourth position on the points table. They won four of their eight games, losing three and one ended in a tie. Overall, they got nine points from the league stage, equalling Manchester Originals and Southern Brave but couldn’t qualify for the knockout stage due to a poor net run rate (-0.055).
As they embark on a fresh season, Welsh Fire retained their core and made some exciting signings during the draft. Overall, the squad looks good and will compete hard throughout the tournament. Tom Abell will be at the helm again, leading the side this season.
Mike Hussey, who has vast experience in white-ball cricket, will act as Welsh Fire’s coach in The Hundred 2024. The team will look to learn from their previous mistakes and not depend on others to qualify for the next round. They will look to win more matches and qualify for the knockout stage this time.
Jonny Bairstow, David Willey, Joe Clarke, Tom Abell, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Matt Henry (New Zealand), Haris Rauf (Pakistan), Glenn Phillips (New Zealand), David Payne, Luke Wells, Roelof Van der Merwe, Stephen Eskinazi, Chris Cooke, Jake Ball, Mason Crane, Ben Green
PCB denied NOC to Shaheen Shah Afridi, who won’t feature in The Hundred 2024. Matt Henry has replaced him in the squad.
Jonny Bairstow, Stephen Eskinazi, Joe Clarke (wk), Luke Wells, Tom Abell (c), Glenn Phillips, David Willey, Roelof van der Merwe, Matt Henry, Haris Rauf, David Payne
Welsh Fire have a fiery batting lineup with vast T20 experience.
They have two LHBs in their strongest XI, with David Willey able to act as a floater.
They have ample batting depth, with Roelof van der Merwe batting at No.8.
Their pace attack has quality and variety, capable of delivering in different phases. David Willey and Matt Henry can take the new ball, while Haris Rauf can be an enforcer. David Payne and David Willey can be death-over bowlers.
They have plenty of bowling options in their strongest XI.
The recent form of Welsh Fire’s top-order batters is not encouraging.
They might lack a quality wrist spinner in their XI.
Manchester Originals vs Welsh Fire – 25 July, 11:00 PM IST
Welsh Fire vs Oval Invincibles – 28 July, 11:00 PM IST
London Spirit vs Welsh Fire – 01 August, 7:30 PM IST
Trent Rockets vs Welsh Fire – 03 August, 11:00 PM IST
Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave – 05 August, 11:00 PM IST
Welsh Fire vs Northern Superchargers – 08 August, 7:30 PM IST
Welsh Fire vs Birmingham Phoenix – 10 August, 11:00 PM IST
Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire – 14 August, 7:30 PM IST
Quality-wise, Welsh Fire are right among the best sides in the competition. They have most bases covered in every department and will compete hard in the league stage. However, the recent form of their batters might be a concern.
Most of their batters have been mighty inconsistent this season. Welsh Fire can not afford an underfiring batting unit in a competition that thrives on batting carnage. They would want them to fire straightaway and start winning games as early as possible.
The absence of a quality wrist spinner in their strongest XI might be another issue. Overall, they look good on paper but might not qualify for the knockout stage again. Expect them to finish somewhere in the mid-table.
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