The Hundred: Spirit hold nerve in thrilling clash to beat Welsh Fire by 8 runs

London Spirit secured their second consecutive victory in The Hundred Men’s Competition 2025 on Saturday, August 9, with a dramatic eight-run win over Welsh Fire at Sophia Gardens.

Sent in to bat, Spirit put 163 for 5 on the scoreboard, anchored by David Warner’s 70 not out off 45 balls, earning him Player of the Match honors. His composed and calculated innings provided the vital backbone for the total.

Welsh Fire’s response looked unlikely until Jonny Bairstow unleashed a blistering unbeaten 86 off just 50 balls, including six maximums in a dazzling late assault. At one point, Fire’s hidden set piece had them stomping within reach. However, with 17 needed off the final five balls, Spirit bowler Luke Wood held firm, preserving a stirring win for the visitors.

Speaking after the match, Warner said: “That got very close at the end, and credit to the way Jonny and Greeny batted. They were absolutely superb. The partnership they built was fantastic, and what it did do was what we’re trying to do here – entertain the crowd and hopefully everyone was excited by that game.”

Warner added, “This is a really important win for us. We lost our first game at home but we’ve got an away game in Manchester coming up, and hopefully we can tick that off.”

Spirit now sit atop the early standings alongside Oval Invincibles, while Fire remain winless after two attempts.

Fan Zone:

Cricket fans are in for a feast of action today, Sunday 10 August, as The Hundred Men’s Competition serves up a high-stakes double-header.

The day begins at The Rose Bowl in Southampton, where Southern Brave take on Birmingham Phoenix at 5:30pm Kabul time.

Brave, fresh from a tense opening victory, will look to build momentum, while Phoenix are desperate to notch their first win of the campaign.

At 9pm, Trent Rockets host Northern Superchargers at Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Both sides have impressed in early outings, setting up an evening clash that could have significant implications for the group standings.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in from 5:30pm on Ariana Television to watch all the thrills and spills of today’s exciting matches.