eased through long-off for the win! Full length, pumped back past the bowler's outstretched hand, and that's a big statement
Fire vs Brave, 25th Match at Southampton, Men's 100, Aug 11 2021 - Ball by Ball Commentary
Brave won by 8 wickets (with 13 balls remaining)
9.08pm That's your lot for tonight. A fine day to be Brave. From Miller, Valkerie, PDP, Ranjith and Matt Roller at the Ageas, thanks and goodnight!
9.02pm Well, that was as easy as the margin of victory makes it seem. Eight wickets, with 13 balls to spare, and Brave vault to the top of the table (when it updates...), with Fire condemned to the also-rans. Fifties from Quinton de Kock and James Vince, captain and senior player, and a turbo-charged opening gambit from Paul Stirling and, well, that was the game sealed. Mills and Jordan were once again outstanding at the death. It's been a good day for the home side, with the women confirmed in the final on August 21, and the men almost there too.
Quinton de Kock is the Match Hero. "We needed this win, an important game for us, glad to get over the line. I wasn't getting much of a chance [in the Powerplay] but I kept going on that wicket, patience was needed there. Nice to get over the line and get some runs and get the team a win. Enjoying my cricket in a new format, new country, new team-mates. We read the wicket and play the situation."
Craig: "QDK- what a box office player! Worth the admission fee alone to watch him bat." Indeed. And to think he was a replacement for Warner. Not a bad signing all told!
over the wicket, into the blockhole, but cuffed out to point
Celine : "A win here now and Brave will be on top of the Table!" I suspect that's a given...
clipped off the pads to square leg
boshed through wide long-on! It's almost done now
Rose: "I personally think Welsh Fire should be Western not Welsh and based between Bristol and Cardiff - otherwise Wales might be stretched (given the teams are nominally based on counties). If we want more teams, a friend of mine suggested adding in the Dutch, Irish and Scottish teams (like the old 40 over comp) which is a solid idea" I think the ECB gambled on finally unlocking the latent Welsh interest in cricket, and have broadly discovered it's not quite as rich a seam as they thought!
slower ball, full toss, on the pads, nibbled to square leg
they all count! A wafty hack across the line, a fat outside-edge through third man!
HarryFD: "Al Davies is one of those that comes under the "busy" category isn't he. Would be great to see him bat with Warner in future editions, their running would be immense. "
slower bouncer, QDK taps the ball in front of square, and somehow burgles two runs from a ball that goes nowhere. That's his fifty, back to back in the competition
I don't think there's any coming back from that tenderising
turning down the leg side, helped on its way for the single
who needs finesse when you've got raw power! Deep in the crease, seizing the length, muscled over square leg!
pushed through outside off, good follow-up, QDK can't connect on his nudge to third man
QDK has broken the game! Fuller length, in his arc, a backside-slapping wallop into the gap at wide long-on!
reverse-sweep, that's brilliant! So was the attempted stop at backward square, but that was racing across the outfield
Qais is back. A big five balls...
tapped to the leg side again, more hustling on the first run but this time the sweeper is primed to mop up
nibbled to the on-side, excellent running to get back for the second. Urgent
leaning back, in to out, that's perfection! This is a big set. A few dots and the rate would be getting tricky, but that boundary eases the pressure considerably
poked to cover
Craig: "Do the fire relocate for 2022? Cardiff really hasn't worked- Bristol surely deserves a Hundred side.. South West Fire anyone?" It's the big question. Probably more likely that they add a ninth team to cover Bristol and Taunton
angled bat on the full length, pushed out to point
full length, tapped in front of square, an easy single to get off the mark
outside off, cuffed to cover, who gathers with a tumble
Alex Davies enters with a game to be wrapped up
Tonight's crowd is a more-than-adequate 11,449
heaved high into the night sky, but straight at long-on! It looked good off the bat, but Vince got more height than distance, and Qais prises a timely wicket!