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Southern Brave host Welsh Fire in the second match of The Hundred Men 2026 at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, the same ground that hosts the women’s fixture earlier in the day. Chris Jordan leads Southern Brave for the first time after taking over from James Vince, while Phil Salt captains a heavily reinforced Welsh Fire side following a huge auction outlay. In this preview you will find the match details, squad changes, pitch report and two SB vs WF fantasy team options, one safe and one for grand leagues.
For Indian viewers, the match starts at 11.00 PM IST, a 5.30 PM start in Southampton.
SB vs WF Match Details
Match: Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire, 2nd Match, The Hundred Men 2026
Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Time: 11.00 PM IST | 5.30 PM local, UK
Venue: The Rose Bowl, Southampton
Streaming in India: Sony LIV
TV in India: Sony Sports Ten Network
Southern Brave: Jordan Takes Over, Squad Largely Settled
Chris Jordan takes over the Southern Brave captaincy from James Vince this season after being their most loyal servant across every edition of the competition, signed for £160,000. He leads a squad with genuine depth, including Marcus Stoinis, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid and David Miller, giving Brave a strong balance of power hitting and experienced bowling across the powerplay and death overs.
Welsh Fire: Big Auction Spend Under New Ownership
Welsh Fire go into this season under new ownership, with Washington Freedom, the Major League Cricket franchise, now holding a 50 percent stake in the club alongside Glamorgan. That connection explains the arrival of Rachin Ravindra, fresh off Washington Freedom’s MLC campaign, in a squad built around the joint-highest auction spend in the competition. Phil Salt was bought for £450,000, the most expensive signing across the men’s auction, and now captains a side that also features Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Marco Jansen and Chris Woakes.
SB vs WF Head To Head
Southern Brave lead the head to head 8 wins to 1 across the last ten meetings between the two sides, having won their most recent encounter last season.
| Result | Match |
|---|---|
| Southern Brave won | 32nd Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2025 |
| Southern Brave won | 21st Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2025 |
| Southern Brave won | 17th Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2024 |
| Southern Brave won | 17th Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2023 |
| Southern Brave won | 5th Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2023 |
Rose Bowl Pitch Report: Bowling First Preferred
The Rose Bowl has hosted 21 matches in The Hundred, with sides bowling first winning 57 percent of the time against 43 percent for teams batting first. The average first innings score of 142 points to a venue that can produce competitive totals in either direction depending on conditions under lights.
Rose Bowl venue stats:
| Stat | Record |
|---|---|
| Matches | 21 |
| Won batting first | 43% |
| Won bowling first | 57% |
| Average 1st innings score | 142 |
| Average 2nd innings score | 129 |
| Highest total | 201/3 by Sunrisers Leeds vs Southern Brave |
| Lowest total | 21/2 by Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire |
| Highest chased | 152/6 by Birmingham Phoenix vs Southern Brave |
Recent matches at the Rose Bowl:
| Match | Result |
|---|---|
| 32nd Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2025 (men): Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire | Southern Brave won |
| 32nd Hundred Balls, The Hundred W 2025: Southern Brave vs Welsh Fire | Southern Brave won |
| 19th Hundred Balls, The Hundred 2025 (men): MI London vs Southern Brave | MI London won |
Pace has taken 61 percent of wickets at this ground across the last 10 matches against 39 percent for spin, a split that suits both attacks given their seam-heavy overseas options.
Southampton Weather Report For SB vs WF
Mostly sunny conditions are expected, with humidity around 79 percent and temperature close to 13°C. Rain chance is low at around 25 percent, so a full match is likely.
SB vs WF Probable Playing XIs
Southern Brave (probable): Jamie Smith (wk), Thomas Rew, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis, Tom Abell, Chris Jordan (c), Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Luke Wood, Saif Zaib, Nikhil Chaudhary
Welsh Fire (probable): Phil Salt (c, wk), Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Rachin Ravindra, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Asa Tribe, Marco Jansen, Chris Woakes, Lockie Ferguson, Matthew Short, Sam Cook
Key Player Battles
Phil Salt vs Jofra Archer: Salt’s explosive powerplay hitting against Archer’s pace and control at the top of the innings is the standout contest of this match, and could set the tone for both sides.
Marcus Stoinis vs Marco Jansen: Two of the most destructive all-rounders in world cricket, both capable of turning a match with bat or ball inside a handful of deliveries.
Adil Rashid vs Joe Root: Rashid’s leg-spin against one of England’s most accomplished players of spin is a genuine tactical battle in the middle overs, regardless of format.
SB vs WF Fantasy Team (Small Leagues)
Wicketkeeper: Phil Salt
Batters: Joe Root (C), David Miller (VC), Jordan Cox
All Rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen
Bowlers: Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Lockie Ferguson, Chris Woakes, Luke Wood
Root is captain on the back of his consistent record for Welsh Fire, and Miller takes the vice-captaincy as Southern Brave’s most destructive finisher. Stoinis and Jansen cover the all-round bases for either side, and the bowling attack leans on the two standout overseas pace options in Archer and Ferguson.
SB vs WF Fantasy Team (Grand Leagues)
For grand leagues, this second SB vs WF fantasy team brings in Rachin Ravindra and Tom Abell as lower-owned alternatives to the headline names.
Wicketkeeper: Jamie Smith — differential
Batters: Phil Salt (C), Rachin Ravindra (VC) — differential, Tom Abell — differential
All Rounders: Marcus Stoinis, Chris Woakes
Bowlers: Adil Rashid, Matthew Short — differential, Jofra Archer, Saif Zaib — differential
Ravindra offers genuine upside off the back of his MLC form without the ownership Root or Cox are likely to draw. Matthew Short and Saif Zaib are the wildcard picks, both capable of contributing with bat and ball if given the opportunity.
Also Read: SB-W vs WF-W Fantasy Team, 2nd Match: Preview, Probable XIs, Pitch Report And Prediction
SB vs WF Match Prediction
Southern Brave go into this match with a settled squad and a dominant head to head record against Welsh Fire in recent seasons. Welsh Fire’s spending power has given them arguably the strongest squad on paper in the competition, headlined by Phil Salt, Joe Root and Marco Jansen, but new signings and a first-year captain often take time to click as a unit. Southern Brave get the edge on continuity and recent form, though Welsh Fire’s sheer depth of talent means an upset is well within reach if their big names fire together early.
FAQs
Q. When is the SB vs WF match?
A. Wednesday, July 22, 2026, at the Rose Bowl, Southampton, starting at 5.30 PM local time, which is 11.00 PM IST.
Q. Where can I watch SB vs WF live in India?
A. The match will be telecast on Sony Sports Ten Network and streamed live on Sony LIV.
Q. Who is Southern Brave’s captain?
A. Chris Jordan captains Southern Brave, taking over from James Vince.
Q. Who is Welsh Fire’s captain?
A. Phil Salt captains Welsh Fire after being the most expensive signing of the men’s auction at £450,000.
Q. Who owns Welsh Fire?
A. Welsh Fire is jointly owned by Glamorgan County Cricket Club and Washington Freedom, the Major League Cricket franchise, which took a 50 percent stake in the club.