Welsh Fire Hoping For Early Spark In The Hundred

Welsh Fire cognize their campaigns cannot beryllium slow burners erstwhile they get nether measurement successful The Hundred today.

A double-header against Northern Superchargers astatine Headingley sees nan women commencement their bid to spell 1 amended than 2024 (15:00 BST) earlier nan men statesman their hunt for an elusive play-off spot (18.30 BST).

They past some return to nan section successful Cardiff for nan first clip this summertime erstwhile hosting London Spirit connected Saturday.

Captain Tammy Beaumont and nan overseas trio of Hayley Matthews, Jess Jonassen and Shabnim Ismail return arsenic nan women instrumentality pinch a acquainted plan.

Australian superstar Steve Smith arrives successful Cardiff for a first sensation of The Hundred arsenic nan men effort to move astir their fortunes.

Smith adds stardust and nan dream is that he tin springiness his caller teammates, now including Glamorgan's Ben Kellaway, a small spot other while besides piling connected nan runs.

"He's going to bring a immense magnitude to nan team," said skipper and Somerset batter Tom Abell.

"His grounds speaks for itself, he's a awesome feline and a world-class subordinate who has done it successful each formats astatine nan very apical level.

"His power connected nan squad will beryllium huge. He has been nan champion subordinate successful nan world for a bully number of years and that will hopefully springiness everyone an other small spot of confidence.

"Anyone wants Steve Smith successful their team, don't they? Luckily he will beryllium playing for us."

The Australian has passed 10,000 runs successful Tests, 5,000 successful ODIs and 1,000 successful world T20s.

"Even Jonny Bairstow, who has played 100 Test matches, is asking what Steve Smith is for illustration to play with," said coach Mike Hussey.

"He will bring a batch to nan team, and hopefully a batch of runs, acquisition and prima power."

Fire men missed retired connected nan eliminator connected nett tally complaint successful 2023 and won conscionable 2 of six fixtures that hit nan upwind past year.

It took until nan 5th fixture to get a occurrence and Hussey does not want to beryllium playing catch-up this August.

"All nan teams are beautiful beardown truthful we are going to person to deed nan crushed running," said nan Australian.

"Hopefully we tin play immoderate really bully cricket, get immoderate assurance going early and past spot really we go.

"I don't cognize really acold we tin go, we are hoping to spell each nan measurement but evidently you request a batch to spell your way."

Fire women person been connected nan up since nan opening years of nan title erstwhile they vanished 1 from bottommost successful 2021 and past propped up nan array successful 2022.

They were 3rd successful 2023 erstwhile their eliminator was washed retired and past topped nan array connected tally complaint past twelvemonth only to suffer nan last astatine Lord's erstwhile London Spirit chased down their full disconnected 98 balls.

The telephone is for much of nan aforesaid successful nan bid to spell 1 better.

"It was an outstanding campaign," said skipper Tammy Beaumont. "This twelvemonth location are immoderate really reliable teams - connected insubstantial anyone tin hit anyone - but I dream that nan togetherness that we person had for nan past fewer years really shines done again.

"That's been our X-factor that has driven america connected and spurred america connected to triumph immoderate tight games."

In a tourney that features stellar talent, leader Gareth Breese agrees that it needs to beryllium a squad effort if Fire are to spell 1 better.

"Last twelvemonth was a phenomenal acquisition to get to nan final, missing retired by 2 aliases 3 balls successful nan end," said nan erstwhile West Indies all-rounder.

"Taking each crippled arsenic it comes and having a existent squad effort – past twelvemonth that was nan hallmark of our performances.

"Somebody ever seemed to measurement up and put successful nan performances. Can we put that conflict and determination retired there?"

Both Fire teams will effort to do that successful Yorkshire earlier repeating nan instrumentality successful Cardiff 2 days later.