Match overview
Southern Brave beat Welsh Fire by 4 runs at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, on 20 August 2025. Brave posted a modest 129/8 from their 100 balls, a total that sat 44 runs below the ground's average first-innings score of 173. Welsh Fire's chase threatened to get there. A rapid powerplay of 50 runs gave the home side every reason for optimism. But the middle phase brought Welsh Fire's innings to a near standstill: 46 runs from 40 balls for the loss of 3 wickets. They needed 29 from the final phase and fell 4 short, finishing on 125/8. HWR Cartwright was named Player of the Match for Southern Brave.
For Welsh Fire, this was a match they looked odds-on to win at the halfway point of the chase. The Brave bowlers worked their way back into it in the middle overs, and despite Welsh Fire needing less than a run a ball at several stages, the total proved just out of reach.
Venue and conditions
Sophia Gardens has hosted 136 short-format matches and produces relatively high-scoring contests. The average first-innings score is 173 and the average second-innings score is 158, figures that made Brave's 129 look increasingly vulnerable once Welsh Fire's powerplay got going. The ground's average powerplay score of 46 runs was eclipsed in the second innings, where Welsh Fire hit 50, though their death-overs return of 29 runs was below the venue's average of 33 for that phase.
Teams winning the toss have chosen to field on 68% of occasions here, which aligns with Welsh Fire's decision to put Brave in. The chase success rate of 53% is almost neutral, meaning pitch conditions alone do not heavily favour either side. In practice, it is the phase splits that matter most at this ground, and the middle overs in this match were where the chase was effectively lost.
Welsh Fire won the toss and elected to field, a decision consistent with how most captains approach Sophia Gardens. Brave's early collapse to 19/2 in the powerplay appeared to justify that call, but the innings regrouped substantially. The death overs in Brave's innings produced 48 runs from 3 wickets, giving the bowlers a target that, while below average, was enough on the day.
How to watch
The Hundred is broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Cricket and BBC Two. Streaming is available via Sky Go and NOW TV for Sky subscribers. The BBC iPlayer carries BBC Two's coverage. BBC Radio Test Match Special provides ball-by-ball radio commentary for selected fixtures, including those at Sophia Gardens.
Recent form
Southern Brave came into this fixture on a mixed run: three consecutive defeats against Oval Invincibles, Trent Rockets, and Northern Superchargers preceded back-to-back wins over Birmingham Phoenix and Manchester Originals. The win over Welsh Fire gives Brave three wins from their last five, a position that keeps them competitive in the standings even as they head into the business end of the tournament.
Welsh Fire's recent record made for difficult reading. Four defeats from their previous four completed matches, against Oval Invincibles, London Spirit, and Northern Superchargers among them, with a single win over Manchester Originals providing the only relief. A home fixture against an opponent they have beaten just once in ten attempts was always going to test them. They gave it a genuine go, but the pattern of the rivalry held.
