Welsh Fire
Tân Cymreig
Personnel
CaptainTom Abell
(men's team)
Tammy Beaumont
(women's team)
CoachMichael Hussey
(men's team)
Gareth Breese
(women's team)
Overseas player(s)Lockie Ferguson
Haris Rauf
Matt Henry
Glenn Phillips
Shaheen Afridi
(men's team)
Laura Harris
Shabnim Ismail
Hayley Matthews
(women's team)
Team information
Colours   
Founded2019
Home groundSophia Gardens
Capacity16,000
History
No. of titles0
The Hundred game wins15
(Women's team: 8)
(Men's team: 7)
Official websiteWelsh Fire

Welsh Fire (Welsh: Tân Cymreig) are a franchise 100-ball cricket side based in the city of Cardiff. The team represents the historic counties of Glamorgan, Gloucestershire and Somerset in the newly founded competition called The Hundred,[1] which took place for the first time during the 2021 English and Welsh cricket season. Both the men's and women's teams play their home games at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.

History

Welsh Fire was founded in June 2019 as one of eight teams to take part in the inaugural season of The Hundred. The team was jointly run by Glamorgan, Somerset and Gloucestershire County Cricket Clubs. It was reported that the side might be renamed as Western Fire, to allay concerns in Somerset and Gloucestershire that they were not sufficiently represented by the side, but this did not come to fruition.[2]

In July 2019, the team announced that former South Africa and India coach, and current Royal Challengers Bangalore coach Gary Kirsten had been appointed as the men's team coach.[3] The women's side was due to be managed by Matthew Mott, a former Glamorgan coach and the current Australia women's team coach, but he withdrew and was replaced by his assistant coach, Mark O'Leary.[4]

The inaugural Hundred draft took place in October 2019 and saw the Fire claim Jonny Bairstow as their headline men's draftee, and Katie George as the women's headliner. They are joined by Somerset wicketkeeper-batsman Tom Banton, Glamorgan batsman Colin Ingram, and England batter Bryony Smith.[5]

Steve Smith and Mitchell Starc were selected as the flagship £125,000 signings in the first round and are two of the side's three overseas players. With Ingram and Banton already occupying the £100,000 slots, Welsh Fire sat out the second round. Ravi Rampaul and Ben Duckett were selected in the third round for £75,000 and Simon Harmer, along with Afghanistan's Qais Ahmed (the team's third overseas player), were bought for £60,000 in the fourth. Liam Plunkett and Ryan ten Doeschate were the picks in the fifth round for £50,000 and Gloucestershire duo David Payne and Ryan Higgins were selected in the sixth round for £40,000. Danny Briggs and Leus du Plooy complete the squad, having both been bought for £30,000 in the final round. The final place in the squad will go to an outstanding performer in next season's Vitality Blast 20-over competition.

Australian Meg Lanning was the next pick for the ladies' team.

Honours

Men's honours

The Hundred

  • 4th place: 2023 (highest finish)

Women's honours

The Hundred

  • Third place: 2023

Ground

Sophia Gardens

Both the Fire men's and women's sides play at the home of Glamorgan County Cricket Club, Sophia Gardens Cricket Ground, in the west of Cardiff city centre. The women's side had been due to play some matches at Gloucestershire's Bristol County Ground and Somerset's County Ground, Taunton but both teams were brought together at the same ground as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Current squads

  • Bold denotes players with international caps.

Women's side

No. Name Nationality Date of birth (age) Batting style Bowling style Notes
Batters
4Emily Windsor England14 September 1997Right-handedRight-arm medium
12Tammy Beaumont England11 March 1991Right-handed—Captain
13Ella McCaughan England26 September 2002Right-handedRight-arm leg break
47Sophia Dunkley England16 July 1998Right-handedRight-arm leg break
48Laura Harris Australia18 August 1990Right-handed—Overseas player
All-rounders
25Alex Griffiths Wales12 June 2002Right-handedRight-arm medium
34Georgia Elwiss England31 May 1991Right-handedRight-arm medium
50Hayley Matthews West Indies19 March 1998Right-handedRight-arm off breakOverseas player
Wicket-keepers
6Sarah Bryce Scotland8 January 2000Right-handed—
Pace bowlers
61Freya Davies England27 October 1995Right-handedRight-arm medium
89Shabnim Ismail South Africa5 October 1988Left-handedRight-arm fast-mediumOverseas player
—Kate Coppack England30 August 1994Right-handedRight-arm medium
Spin bowlers
8Claire Nicholas Wales8 September 1986Right-handedRight-arm off break
65Alex Hartley England6 September 1993Right-handedSlow left-arm orthodox
—Georgia Davis England3 June 1999Right-handedRight-arm off breakRuled out of the 2023 season due to injury
—Chloe Skelton England20 June 2001Right-handedRight-arm off breakReplacement player

Men's side

No. Name Nationality Date of birth (age) Batting style Bowling style Notes
Batters
6Glenn Phillips New Zealand6 December 1996Right-handedRight-arm off breakOverseas player
23Stephen Eskinazi England28 March 1994Right-handed—
32Ollie Pope England2 January 1998Right-handed—Ruled out of the 2023 season due to injury
All-rounders
3Luke Wells England29 December 1990Left-handedRight-arm leg breakWildcard player
15David Willey England28 February 1990Left-handedLeft-arm fast-medium
28Tom Abell England5 March 1994Right-handedRight-arm mediumCaptain
52Roelof van der Merwe Netherlands[lower-alpha 1]31 December 1984Right-handedSlow left-arm orthodox
54Ben Green England28 September 1997Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumReplacement player
—Dan Douthwaite England8 February 1997Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
Wicket-keepers
33Joe Clarke England26 May 1996Right-handed—
51Jonny Bairstow England26 September 1989Right-handed—Centrally contracted player
—Chris Cooke South Africa30 May 1986Right-handed—UK passport;
Wildcard player
Pace bowlers
7David Payne England15 February 1991Right-handedLeft-arm fast-medium
9George Scrimshaw England10 February 1998Right-handedRight-arm fast
10Shaheen Afridi Pakistan6 April 2000Left-handedLeft-arm fastOverseas player;
Ruled out of the 2023 season
14Jake Ball England14 March 1991Right-handedRight-arm fast-medium
24Matt Henry New Zealand14 December 1991Right-handedRight-arm fast-mediumOverseas player;
Replacement player
69Lockie Ferguson New Zealand13 June 1991Right-handedRight-arm fastOverseas player;
Replacement player
77Haris Rauf Pakistan7 November 1993Right-handedRight-arm fastOverseas player;
Ruled out of the 2023 season
  1. ↑ Van der Merwe has also played international cricket for South Africa

Seasons

Women's team

Season Group stage Playoff stage Ref.
Pld W L T NR Pts Pos Pld Pos
20218260048thDid not progress[6]
20226150028thDid not progress[7]
202385201113rd1[lower-alpha 1]3rd[8]

Men's team

Season Group stage Playoff stage Ref.
Pld W L T NR Pts Pos Pld Pos
20218350067thDid not progress[9]
20228080008thDid not progress[10]
20238431094thDid not progress[11]

Notes

  1. ↑ Welsh Fire women qualified for the eliminator in 2022. They played one match, a playoff against Northern Superchargers. After the first innings, rain caused the game to be abandoned with the game ending in a "no result". As Welsh Fire finished the group in 3rd and the Northern Superchargers finished in 2nd, the Northern Superchargers progressed to the final due to a better finishing position in the group stage.

See also

    References

    1. ↑ "The Hundred: Team-by-team guides, coach details and venues". Sporting Life. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
    2. ↑ "Cardiff Hundred team may drop 'Welsh' from name in favour of 'Western Fire'". ESPN.com. 30 July 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
    3. ↑ www.uprisevsi.co.uk, upriseVSI. "England and Local Cricket Stars Align for Welsh Fire". Glamorgan Cricket. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
    4. ↑ "The Hundred: Meet the Welsh Fire". BBC Sport. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
    5. ↑ "The Hundred: Central contract and local icon 'drafts' explained". ESPNcricinfo. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 4 October 2019.
    6. ↑ "The Hundred Women's Competition 2021". espncricinfo.com.
    7. ↑ "The Hundred Women's Competition 2022". espncricinfo.com.
    8. ↑ "The Hundred Women's Competition 2023". espncricinfo.com.
    9. ↑ "The Hundred Men's Competition 2021". espncricinfo.com.
    10. ↑ "The Hundred Men's Competition 2022". espncricinfo.com.
    11. ↑ "The Hundred Men's Competition 2023". espncricinfo.com.

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