Zak Crawley’s explosive 67* and a 91-run opening stand set up an emphatic eight-wicket victory for Northern Superchargers over Welsh Fire in The Hundred 2025 opener at Headingley.
Match Highlights and Key Moments
1. Toss & Team Decision
- Northern Superchargers won the toss and chose to bowl first, putting Welsh Fire under immediate pressure on a testing Headingley pitch.
2. Welsh Fire Innings: Stuttering Start to Sub‑Par Total
A solid opening stand followed by a flurry of wickets saw Welsh Fire stumble to 143/9 in 100 balls.
Key Bowling Figures – Superchargers
- Imad Wasim: 2 for 26 with vital mid innings breakthroughs
- Adil Rashid and Matthew Potts contributed with crucial breakthroughs.
3. Fall of Wickets: Welsh Fire
- Steven Smith – 62/1 (Ball 37)
- Luke Wells – 62/2 (Ball 38)
- Jonny Bairstow – 78/3 (Ball 44)
- Tom Abell – 99/4 (Ball 62)
- Tom Kohler-Cadmore – 102/5 (Ball 68)
- Paul Walter – 125/6 (Ball 84)
- Saif Zaib – 132/7 (Ball 88)
- David Payne – 133/8 (Ball 90)
- Chris Green – 133/9 (Ball 92)
4. Northern Superchargers’ Chase: Dominant and Decisive
- Led by Zak Crawley’s unbeaten 67 off 38 balls, Superchargers finished strongly with 147/2 in 89 balls, sealing the match with 11 balls to spare.
Key Bowling Figures for Welsh Fire
- Riley Meredith picked up 2 crucial wickets, including Malan and Pepper, to momentarily stall the charge.
- David Payne and Josh Hull tried to contain the scoring but lacked breakthroughs.
5. Fall of Wickets: Northern Superchargers
- Dawid Malan – 91/1 (Ball 52)
- Michael‑Kyle Pepper – 100/2 (Ball 62)
6. Partnerships That Shaped the Game
Northern Superchargers
- Zak Crawley: 67*, explosive and unflinching at the crease.
- Dawid Malan: 41, steady support, laid the foundation for the chase.
Welsh Fire
- Jonny Bairstow: 42, gave a strong start but lacked support from the middle order.
7. Turning Points of the Match
- Potts’ double strike removed Smith and Wells early, shaking Welsh Fire’s top order.
- Rashid’s breakthroughs stalled the middle-order momentum.
- Crawley and Malan’s 91-run stand silenced any hopes of a Welsh comeback.
- Fire’s collapse from 125/6 to 133/9 left them well short of a defendable total.
- Crawley’s blazing 67 off 38* ensured a dominant chase with no hiccups.
8. Player of the Match
- Zak Crawley, with his fiery 67, not only anchored the chase but ignited the Superchargers’ campaign in spectacular fashion.
9. Match Summary
- At Headingley, Leeds, Welsh Fire posted 143/9 in 100 balls. Northern Superchargers replied with 147/2 in 89 balls, winning by 8 wickets with 11 balls to spare.
10. Points Table Impact
- Northern Superchargers open their account with 4 points and a healthy net run rate boost.
- Welsh Fire will look to bounce back and fix their NRR in the upcoming games.
👀 What’s Next?
- Northern Superchargers will aim to carry this momentum forward in their upcoming matches.
- Welsh Fire will look to bounce back stronger after a tough start to their campaign.
