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Southern Brave (SOB) will take on Welsh Fire (WEF) in Match No. 2 of The Hundred Men’s Competition 2026 at The Rose Bowl in Southampton on July 22. Both teams will be eager to start their campaigns with a victory after enduring contrasting fortunes in the previous edition.
Southern Brave narrowly missed out on the playoffs after finishing fifth in the standings last season. Led by veteran all-rounder Chris Jordan, the Brave possess an experienced squad featuring the likes of David Miller, Jamie Smith, Marcus Stoinis, Tristan Stubbs, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid, making them one of the strongest all-round sides in the competition.
Welsh Fire, meanwhile, will be hoping for a fresh start under new captain Phil Salt after finishing at the bottom of the table last season. The franchise has revamped its squad significantly and will rely on experienced internationals such as Joe Root, Rachin Ravindra, Chris Woakes, Marco Jansen and Lockie Ferguson to help them challenge for a playoff spot this year.
SOB vs WEF, The Hundred Men’s 2026: Match Details
- Date and Time: July 22, 11:00 PM IST / 5:30 PM GMT / 6:30 PM Local
- Venue: The Rose Bowl, Southampton
SOB vs WEF Head-to-Head Record
Matches Played: 10 | Southern Brave Won: 8 | Welsh Fire Won: 1 | No Result: 1
The Rose Bowl Pitch Report
The Rose Bowl has developed a reputation for producing high-scoring encounters in white-ball cricket. The venue recently witnessed a run-fest during the fifth T20I between England and India, where over 450 runs were scored across two innings, highlighting the excellent batting conditions.
The surface is expected to remain true, offering good pace and bounce, allowing batters to play their shots freely once they settle in. Fast bowlers may enjoy some movement with the new ball under the evening conditions, but the pitch generally becomes easier for stroke-making as the innings progresses. Spinners are likely to rely on variations rather than sharp turn. With another batting-friendly wicket expected, the captain winning the toss may prefer to bat first and put scoreboard pressure on the opposition.
Squads
Southern Brave: Chris Jordan (c), Tom Abell, Ben McKinney, Michael Pepper (wk), Marcus Stoinis, David Miller, Jamie Smith, Caleb Falconer, Saif Zaib, Adil Rashid, Daniel Worrall, Luke Wood, Jofra Archer, Nikhil Chaudhary, Tristan Stubbs, Manny Lumsden, Thomas Rew
Welsh Fire: Phil Salt (c), Tom Kohler-Cadmore (wk), Joe Root, Matthew Short, Asa Tribe, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Kellaway, Jordan Clark, Chris Woakes, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Sam Cook, Dillon Pennington, Jafer Chohan, Thomas Aspinwall, Jordan Cox
Also READ: Jacob Bethell ruled out of The Hundred Men’s 2026 due to knee injury
SOB vs WEF, Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- SOB wins the toss and bowls first
- WEF’s powerplay score: 45-50
- WEF’s total score: 150-160
Case 2:
- WEF wins the toss and bowls first
- SOB’s powerplay score: 50-55
- SOB’s total score: 160-170
Match Result: Team bowling first wins the contest.
