MI London vs Welsh Fire Match 6 Full Commentary

Welcome back, folks! 168 is the magic number for MI London to get two back-to-back wins. Out come their openers - James Vince and Will Jacks. And it will be the experienced campaigner, Chris Woakes, to bowl the first set. Jacks is on strike. There's a slip in place. Here we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

A big chase ahead - MI London won their first game while chasing, and they will fancy their chances of doing it again here. They have all the stabilisers and the muscle power through their batting order to get the job done. But as seen in the first innings, there was uneven bounce with the new ball, so getting through the first few sets unscathed will be just as important as the runs on the board. Back in a bit with the second essay. Please do stay tuned.

Here's the man of the moment - Rachin Ravindra is down for a chat with the broadcasters. Rachin Ravindra says 167 is a pretty good score on the board and hopes Welsh Fire can get it done with the ball. On the conditions early on and the shift in momentum, he counts himself fortunate to have walked in around the 20th ball, with the new ball still doing a bit through the air. He gives plenty of credit to Salt and Root for seeing off that testing period, calling it a huge factor, before the pair started finding the gaps and cashing in. With the boundaries out square being on the shorter side, he says it was simply about running hard and trusting that anything well timed would find the rope.

Solid recovery after an early slip - The MI London bowlers with the new ball. Trent Boult and Richard Gleeson made the batters dance to their tunes, and both fished out each of the Welsh openers, who never really got going against the bouncing and swinging ball. Welsh Fire limped out of the Powerplay at 25 for 2, in need of something to build around, and that's exactly what Root and Ravindra provided. Root did survive a let-off, dropped on 8 by Rashid, while Rachin eased in gradually before shifting up several gears. He tore into some of the best bowlers around, and with Root holding firm at the other end, the pair put together a blistering stand of 116 that put Fire in complete ascendancy. Rachin couldn't get off to his century but ensured his team gets into a strong position.

Fired up with the bat - A solid finish for the Welsh Fire. 61/2 in the first fifty balls, followed by 106/3 in the next fifty has got them to a total they can fancy defending with a decent bowling unit. But amid the carnage when every other bowler was taken to the cleaners, it was Trent Boult who shone with the ball, conceding just 16 runs off 20 balls.

Hard luck for Rachin Ravindra. He receives warm applause and a standing ovation from the crowd and also his teammates. Joe Root gives him a pat on his back as he goes up the stairs to the dressing room. An inning of the highest quality from him. Marco Jansen is in at number 6. As he walks to the crease, Simon Doull cheekily says that the bat in his hands looks like a toothpick.

Time for the last set. The Curran brothers have one each left to bowl, but it will be Trent Boult to bowl out. 0/10 in 15 balls so far. Rachin is on 97.

The last couple of sets are left. Richard Gleeson will bowl out. 1/25 in 15 balls so far are his bowling figures. So guess, Boult will bowl the final set?

At long last, a wicket for MI London. Rashid breaks the 116-run partnership. Jordan Cox walks in at number 5.

That’s all from Cardiff - Welsh Fire go back-to-back wins and climb to the top of the table with a clinical win, and MI London will have to regroup quickly. The action in The Hundred Men’s continues with a doubleheader on 26th July 2026. The first game sees Manchester Super Giants take on Birmingham Phoenix at 1.30 pm GMT. Cheers for now!

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Rachin Ravindra wins the award for his sensational knock of 98 and for picking up the key wicket of James Vince. On the feeling of victory, Ravindra admits it feels good to come out on top against an MI London side that he reckons is stacked with match-winners, pointing to the history and pedigree the team carries. He's thrilled with how Fire performed on home turf, calling the display fantastic. On the key to his partnership with Root, he puts it down to picking the right moments to attack while still trusting their own games. Ravindra is honest that neither of them possesses the raw power of some of the bigger hitters in the format, so instead they focus on finding the gaps and running hard between the wickets. On whether the pitch eased out as the game went on, Ravindra is in full agreement. He felt it looked pretty nasty early on, especially with the way the opposition quicks hit the deck hard, but credits Salt and Root for seeing off that testing period. He reckons the surface did ease out as the innings progressed and the ball got softer. On the caught and bowled, Ravindra jokes that it's nice to actually hold onto a catch in England for once, adding with a laugh that the white ball is a touch easier to pick up. On a more serious note, he's pleased with the breakthrough, especially with Vince batting well and looking dangerous at the time. On their bowling at the death, Ravindra heaps praise on Lockie Ferguson, calling him brilliant, while also giving credit to Cook's over and Jansen for holding his own. He reckons the wickets came at exactly the right times to seal the win.

Rachin's 98 helps WF post 167 - Earlier, MI London won the toss and bowled first on a pitch offering extra bounce. Tom Curran removed Phil Salt for 6 and Richard Gleeson got Matthew Short for 8, leaving Fire 25/2 at the end of the Powerplay. Rachin Ravindra and Joe Root steadied things with a 115-run stand that took them to 61/2 at halfway and 119/2 after 75 balls. Ravindra took charge in the second half, hitting his maiden fifty in Hundred off 22 balls and falling just short of a century on 98. Rashid Khan broke the partnership by dismissing Root for 29 off 26, and Jordan Cox added a quick 17 off 9 to push the total up. MI London’s seamers shared the wickets, with Boult, Gleeson, Curran and Rashid each taking one, as Fire closed with 106 runs coming off the last 50 balls.

Welsh death bowling seals it - Welsh Fire were superb at the death. They choked MI London’s boundary options in the last 25 balls and forced mistakes under pressure. Lockie Ferguson led the way and was the pick of the attack with 4 wickets, hitting the right lengths when it mattered most. The chase stalled just short, and Fire walked away with the points and their first win of the campaign by 15 runs.

London fight back, but fall short - Chasing 168, MI London got off to a brisk start. Even after losing Will Jacks early, they kept the scoreboard moving and stayed right on top of the required rate. Welsh Fire thought they had a breakthrough when Jason Roy and Sam Curran fell on consecutive deliveries, but Nicholas Pooran and James Vince steadied the ship with a crucial 32-run stand. Vince was outstanding, he rotated the strike, left well, ran hard, and found the boundary with ease on his way to 66. The game turned when Rachin Ravindra produced an outstanding catch off his own bowling to send Vince back. Tom Curran then joined Sherfane Rutherford and the pair added 28 off 24 for the 6th wicket, but with the asking rate climbing, it wasn’t enough to swing it London’s way.

A Cardiff thriller goes to Welsh Fire - This was exactly the kind of contest The Hundred was built for. Both Welsh Fire and MI London had the upper hand at different stages, but it was the hosts who held their nerve in the final moments to seal a 15-run win in Cardiff. After posting 168, Welsh Fire had to dig deep with the ball as MI London pushed them right to the last set, turning it into an absolute nail-biter at Sophia Gardens.

Rashid Khan is the next batter in.

Just 8 runs have been scored off the last 9 deliveries. MI London is feeling the heat here.

(15-0-17-1).

Chris Woakes to bowl out.