Match prediction for Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave in Cardiff.
Match No.21 of The Hundred 2025 men’s competition will witness Welsh Fire (WEF) and Southern Brave (SOB) lock horns on August 20. Sophia Gardens in Cardiff will host the contest, with the first ball to be bowled at 7:30 PM IST.
Check out our analysis for the WEF vs SOB match with the top betting tips and predictions.
Here are some of the best bets for this Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave match.
Craig Overton has been excellent in the tournament, picking up six wickets from four innings at a strike rate of 13.3. He has picked 3 for 29 and 2 for 21 in the last two outings.
Southern Brave have dominated the head-to-head rivalry against Welsh Fire. They have a more threatening bowling attack with the likes of Jofra Archer and Craig Overton in great form.
Jonny Bairstow will face a tough new-ball pair of Archer and Overton. But if he gets through that, he can score big. Bairstow is in good touch, scoring 178 runs from four innings at a strike rate of 171 with two half-centuries.
Sophia Gardens in Cardiff has offered decent pitches for batting in recent times. Bowlers can find some assistance, especially pacers. The average first innings score at the venue in The Hundred since last year is 140.
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Welsh Fire and Southern Brave have faced each other eight times in The Hundred. Southern Brave have been dominant, winning six of these games, while Welsh Fire have managed to win only once.
Welsh Fire are in a tough spot after losing three of their four games and managing to win only once. They took a big hit to their net run-rate in the previous game, losing to Oval Invincibles by 83 runs.
The bowling attack was all over the place, conceding the highest total in The Hundred. Chasing 227, Welsh Fire lost both openers early. Jonny Bairstow smashed 50 off 28 while Tom Kohler-Cadmore struck 31 off 16, but it wasn’t enough.
Welsh Fire made a couple of changes in the previous game, with Tom Abell sitting out due to a hamstring injury. Riley Meredith was also left out for Matt Henry. The pair should return for this game.
Possible XI: Steve Smith, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Luke Wells, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Tom Abell (c), Saif Zaib, Paul Walter, Chris Green, David Payne, Josh Hull, Riley Meredith.
Southern Brave have clinched three victories in five games while losing twice. Another defeat could put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. In their previous fixture, they lost to Oval Invincibles by seven wickets.
Batting first, they had a massive collapse as they lost six wickets for just 46 runs. Hilton Cartwright then struck 42 off 33 to take them to a respectable total of 133. Craig Overton removed both the openers early, but they could not get through Jordan Cox and Sam Curran.
Possible XI: James Vince (c), Leus Du Plooy, Jason Roy, Laurie Evans (wk), James Cole, Michael Bracewell, Hilton Cartwright, Jordan Thompson, Craig Overton, Jofra Archer, Tymal Mills.
Check out the details of where to watch the Welsh Fire vs Southern Brave match.
Both games played here in the ongoing tournament were won by the team batting first. But teams are likely to continue to prefer chasing. So expect the captain winning the toss to choose to field first.
Take a look at the weather forecast, key matchup, and favourites to get a better idea of the match.
The weather in Cardiff is expected to be mainly clear and warm on Wednesday afternoon. As per the radar, rain should not be a big concern. The humidity levels could be around 43% with the wind gusts travelling at up to 37 kmph. The temperature should range between 24 to 28 degrees Celsius.
The bookmakers have placed Southern Brave as slight favourites heading into this game. The away team will have a 54% chance of winning this encounter.
Jonny Bairstow has struggled against Craig Overton in their head-to-head battles. He has managed to score only 19 runs in 20 balls, and the right-arm pacer has dismissed him two times.
