Ravindra’s 98 leaves Cardiff purring as Welsh Fire topple three-time champions MI London

Cardiff: Rachin Ravindra stroked the joint fourth-highest score in the history of The Hundred men’s competition to propel Welsh Fire to a 15-run victory over MI London in front of a record crowd at Cardiff. The Oval-based franchise have won the men’s competition in each of the last three summers but their star-studded bowling line-up had no answer to Ravindra, whose 44-ball 98 left the Sophia Gardens crowd purring before he took a stunning caught-and-bowled to take the pivotal wicket of James Vince.

Salt and Short Fall Early — Then Ravindra Takes Over

Fire had struggled to find their rhythm after MI London won the toss and asked them to bat. Phil Salt spooned a catch to Sherfane Rutherford to give Tom Curran the early breakthrough and when Matthew Short was bowled by Richard Gleeson, the hosts had laboured to 20 for 2 from 22 deliveries. The record Cardiff crowd, still settling into their seats, fell unusually quiet. MI London’s decision to bowl first looked inspired.

Then Ravindra walked to the crease. What followed was one of the finest individual batting displays Sophia Gardens has witnessed in The Hundred era. Ravindra raced to his half-century in 22 balls, bringing up the milestone by dispatching Rashid Khan over the midwicket boundary. Rashid Khan — one of the finest white-ball bowlers on the planet — dispatched over midwicket as if it were a net session. The crowd’s silence turned to something approaching reverence.

The third-wicket partnership between Joe Root and Ravindra was worth 100 runs from just 54 balls, with Root contributing 24 and Ravindra 81 at that point. By the strategic timeout at 87 for 2 from 60 balls, Ravindra had already reached 50 from those 22 balls with six fours and two sixes. Root’s role in the partnership was that of the ideal foil — busy, intelligent, rotating strike — while Ravindra punished anything even marginally short or full with the kind of clean striking that makes him one of The Hundred’s most watchable players.

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98 — Two Runs From Immortality

Root fell for 37 with the score at 137 before Ravindra’s own innings ended in the 19th over, caught for 98 off 44 balls — two runs short of what would have been only the third century in The Hundred men’s history. The crowd’s collective groan was audible across Cardiff. Welsh Fire’s fall of wickets in the final stages read: 3-137 (Root), 4-163 (Ravindra), 5-167 (Jansen) — the innings losing steam only after the New Zealander’s departure. Marco Jansen fell off the penultimate ball with Jordan Cox finishing the innings on 17, Welsh Fire closing on 167 for 5 — a total that owed everything to Ravindra and the platform Root had quietly helped him build.

For Ravindra, the 98 is also a reminder of his quality beyond the Test arena. The New Zealand all-rounder arrived at The Hundred having been outstanding in England’s Test summer, and his translation of that form to the short format was seamless.

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Ferguson Breaks the Back of the Chase

Chasing 168, MI London needed a platform and Roy provided it — a review by Welsh Fire on ball 16 proving unsuccessful as Roy survived to continue a powerful start. The MI London powerplay yielded 35 runs from 25 balls for the loss of one wicket, and the second wicket partnership of 50 between Vince and Roy in 35 balls had MI London well in the hunt. Vince reached fifty off 32 balls — three sixes and six fours — and with Roy supporting from the other end, a charge was very much on.

Then Ravindra produced the moment that turned the match with the ball. He took a stunning caught-and-bowled to claim the pivotal wicket of James Vince — the MI London captain, who had been the only batter capable of matching the required rate, gone in the cruellest of fashions. By the strategic timeout at 114 for 4 from 70 balls, MI London needed 54 from 30 balls — a very achievable target, but one that now required a rebuilt partnership at the crease.

Lockie Ferguson then ran through the MI London middle and lower order to finish with 4 for 25, the New Zealand fast bowler’s pace and bounce providing a completely different challenge from the one MI London had faced in the powerplay. Sherfane Rutherford, who had taken Salt’s catch in the first innings, was among those unable to cope with Ferguson’s sustained hostility. MI London were restricted to 152 for 6 from their 100 balls, the margin 15 runs — a result that felt closer than the Ravindra innings had suggested it might be.

Cardiff’s Record Crowd Witnesses Something Special

The attendance at Sophia Gardens was a record for a Welsh Fire home match — a crowd that arrived expecting excitement and received something close to greatness in Ravindra’s 98. That Welsh Fire’s women had won by 60 runs earlier in the afternoon — Welsh Fire completing a home double over MI London in both competitions on the same day — added a layer of celebration to an evening that Cardiff will not forget quickly.

For MI London, three consecutive defeats across men’s and women’s competitions against Welsh Fire on the same day represents a damaging start to the week. The three-time men’s champions — who had been installed as early favourites for a fourth successive title — have now lost their opening match and face an urgent need to recalibrate before their next fixture.

Result: Welsh Fire Men won by 15 runs
Player of the Match: Rachin Ravindra (WF-M) — 98 (44) & 1 wicket (c&b Vince)

Scorecard:
Welsh Fire Men 167/5 (100 balls) — Ravindra 98 (44), Root 29; Boult 1/16
MI London Men 152/6 (100 balls) — Vince 66 (38), Rutherford 24 (18).; Ferguson 4/27