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Match 11 | The Hundred Men’s Competition 2026 | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Rachin Ravindra is the player transforming Welsh Fire’s season, and his stunning 98 off 44 balls against MI London sets the standard both sides will be chasing again at Sophia Gardens. Phil Salt leads a Fire side sitting joint top of the table, while Ben Duckett has quietly moved into the all-time top three run scorers in Hundred history for Trent Rockets. Lockie Ferguson’s pace at the death could prove just as decisive as anything either top order produces.
Match 11 of The Hundred Men’s Competition kicks off at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Wednesday, 29 July at 3 pm BST, with Phil Salt leading Welsh Fire out against Sam Billings’ Trent Rockets.
Welsh Fire sit joint top of the table after two wins from two, level on points with Manchester Super Giants but well ahead on net run rate at plus 0.527. Trent Rockets have won just once from their two matches and sit fourth on the table, needing a result here to keep pace with the group above them.
Salt’s case as Fire’s most important player goes well beyond the armband. He is already the competition’s all-time leading run scorer with 1,138 career runs, and his 47 not out against Southern Brave got this season’s campaign moving in the right direction from the very first match of the year.
Rockets counter with two in-form top-order players of their own. Duckett’s 75 off 47 balls against London Spirit moved him above Liam Livingstone on the all-time scoring list, while Tom Banton’s 67 off 32 balls against Birmingham Phoenix showed the same destructive touch that makes him one of the format’s most watchable batters right now.
Both squads have shown their hand across two matches already, and the numbers make for an even head-to-head heading into Wednesday’s contest.
| Player | Team | Recent Form | Key Stat |
| Phil Salt | Welsh Fire | 47 not out vs Brave; 11 vs MI London | All-time Hundred leading run scorer |
| Rachin Ravindra | Welsh Fire | 24 vs Brave; 98 off 44 vs MI London | Joint 4th-highest score in Hundred history |
| Lockie Ferguson | Welsh Fire | 4/27 vs MI London | Match-winning bowling spell |
| Ben Duckett | Trent Rockets | 48 vs Phoenix; 75 off 47 vs Spirit | Moved to 3rd on all-time run list |
| Tom Banton | Trent Rockets | 67 off 32 vs Phoenix | Explosive top-order power hitter |
| Craig Overton | Trent Rockets | 20 not out off 6 vs Spirit | Won the game with the bat and ball |
Ravindra’s 98 stands out above every other innings on this list, breaking Jonny Bairstow’s old Welsh Fire record in the process, though Ferguson’s 4/27 in that same match was arguably just as valuable to the eventual result on the day.
Trent Rockets lead the overall head-to-head 3-1 across four meetings between these two sides since 2021, and three of those four games have been played at this same Sophia Gardens ground in Cardiff. Rockets have won both previous meetings in Cardiff, most recently a three-wicket victory in 2025 when Joe Root, then on the opposite side, made an unbeaten 64.
Welsh Fire’s only win anywhere in the fixture’s history came at Trent Bridge back in 2024, a tight four-run victory built on Jonny Bairstow’s 55. Root has since switched allegiances and now finds himself facing his former side for the first time, at a ground where the opposition has never once lost to Welsh Fire.
Lockie Ferguson’s pace offers Welsh Fire a genuine matchwinner at the death, and his 4/27 return against MI London, including the catch and bowled of James Vince, is the kind of spell that can swing a tight contest on its own. Craig Overton provided the mirror image for Rockets last time out, finishing off London Spirit with an unbeaten six-ball cameo after also taking two wickets himself earlier in the innings.
Whichever bowler seizes the moment again is likely to decide this one, but it’s the head-to-head battle between the top-order stars that gives this Welsh Fire vs Trent Rockets Hundred 2026 key players storyline its real edge heading into Wednesday afternoon at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff.
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Who are the key players for Welsh Fire this season?
Phil Salt and Rachin Ravindra have driven Welsh Fire’s unbeaten start to the competition. Ravindra’s 98 off 44 balls against MI London is the joint fourth-highest score in Hundred history.
What is Trent Rockets’ strongest top order in 2026?
Ben Duckett and Tom Banton form Trent Rockets’ most dangerous opening partnership this season. Duckett’s 75 against London Spirit moved him to third on the competition’s all-time run-scoring list.
Who captains Welsh Fire and Trent Rockets this season?
Phil Salt captains Welsh Fire, while Sam Billings leads Trent Rockets as wicketkeeper-batter. Both captains signed with their respective clubs specifically ahead of the 2026 competition.
When does the Welsh Fire vs Trent Rockets match start?
The Match 11 clash starts at 3 pm BST on Wednesday, 29 July 2026. It will be played at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, host to three of their last four meetings.
How has Joe Root performed for Welsh Fire this season?
Root has managed 44 runs across two innings for Welsh Fire so far this season. His best score of 29 came in a match-winning stand with Ravindra against MI London.
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