Welsh Fire Cricket Team Guide
Welsh Fire are a franchise men and women’s team that play in England’s The Hundred cricket competition.
Welsh Fire Background
The Welsh Fire was founded in 2019 when the new eight team Hundred competition was announced. The team represents the county clubs of Glamorgan, Somerset and Gloucestershire. The first men’s coach announced before the initial draft would be former South Africa national cricket team opener Gary Kirsten. The women’s team was to be led off the field by Welshman Mark O’Leary. England Test opener Ben Duckett was to captain the men’s Welsh Fire team with Sophie Luff skippering the women’s team.
Where Do Welsh Fire Play?
The Welsh Fire play at the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Sophia Gardens. The ground sits on the banks of the River Taff in the Welsh capital Cardiff, it first hosted a Test in 2009, an Ashes Test no less.Â
Welsh Fire Players
The Welsh Fire men’s team marquee player was announced after the first draft, with that being the hard hitting England cricket team player Jonny Bairstow. Other England players to have worn the Fire red include Tom Banton, David Willey and Ollie Pope. Big names from overseas are New Zealand national cricket team player James Neesham, Adam Zampa of Australia and South Africa’s David Miller.
Big name England stars to play for the women’s team include Sarah Taylor, Bryony Smith and Tammy Beamont. West Indies cricket team player Hayley Matthews and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland are the biggest names Internationally to play for the Fire.
Memorable Games For The Welsh FireÂ
The Welsh Fire men’s team had endured an absolutely miserable 2022 campaign finishing bottom of the table losing 8 out of 8 matches so it was important to start the 2023 edition in positive fashion. Their first game was at home to the Manchester Originals and it looked to be the Cardiff rain that was going to get in the way of the Welsh Fire ending their unwanted run of defeats. It subsided however leaving a 40 ball per side game possible. Fire batted first and an absolutely brilliant 23 ball 57 from opener Luke Wells helped them up to a good looking score of 94 for 3. Exciting Pakistan national cricket team left-armer Shaheen Shah Afridi gave Fire the dream start with the ball as he dismissed Phil Salt then Laurie Evans with the first two balls of the innings. Max Holden mounted a recovery and some late fireworks from Jos Buttler gave the Originals some hope, but the Welsh Fire weren’t to be denied a much needed victory after the nightmare of 2022. Â
2023 Welsh Fire women’s captain Tammy Beamont entered herself into the record books as she became the first woman to score a century in The Hundred against the Trent Rockets at Cardiff. The England openers’ incredible knock of 118 from 61 deliveries which featured 20 fours and 2 sixes also surpassed Will Smeeds 108 to become the highest ever overall score in The Hundred competition to date. Her brilliance got teh Welsh Fire up to 181 for 3 which was to prove too much for the Rockets who fell short by 41 runs despite 48 in 21 balls from Bryony Smith.
