Smith, Meredith, Green on Fire for Welsh side

A 100-ball thrash in Cardiff is a long way from a Test match in Perth, and not just geographically, but there was an Ashes subplot when Steve Smith faced up to Josh Tongue at Sophia Gardens.

Smith was opening the batting for a Welsh Fire side badly in need of a win after losing their first two Hundred men's matches. Tongue was opening the bowling for visitors Manchester Originals.

Fast forward 100 days and the pair could well be in opposition in the opening Ashes Test.

An uncapped Tongue was the first English bowler to dismiss Smith during the latter's spell with Sussex ahead of the 2023 Ashes. He then dismissed Smith in both innings of that year's Lord's Test, albeit the batter had already made 110 in the first dig.

So there was a bit of history as Tongue ran in to bowl at Smith in the Welsh capital on Wednesday.

Smith had already faced five balls from Sonny Baker, England's next fast bowling hope who rushed David Warner on Monday, surviving a tight lbw appeal first ball then cracking a wide one through cover for four.

Tongue's second ball was also widish, and Smith launched it for an extraordinary six over cover.

When Tongue returned for a second spell Smith lifted him over extra cover for four. Tongue replied with a 145kph head-high bouncer that Smith, hooking, failed to connect with.

Smith charged the next ball, but Tongue saw him coming and dug it into the pitch. The Australian, swinging shoulder-high, could only thick edge to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler, departing for 26 off 22.

It might not mean much come Perth, but dismissing Smith once more won't do Tongue any harm.

But given the context Smith won't be concerned. As he said beforehand: "You're going to fail more than you succeed in this format, so don't overthink things too much, go out and play with a free spirit, and hopefully make some scores."

With Baker having had Fire's other star opener, Jonny Bairstow, caught slip for a duck, Fire scrambled their way to 8-137 aided by a cameo from Chris Green.

The Sydney Thunder allrounder smacked Baker for six over cow corner and four over mid-off, prompting three successive wides from the tyro. He also hit Tongue for six but was then caught off him for 19 off nine.

Riley Meredith, bowling almost as quick as Tongue, soon made that target look huge, the Tasmanian taking 3-6 in ten balls to reduce Originals to 3-14.

Green dismissed Heinrich Klaasen, following up with the key wicket of Buttler (57 off 34) caught in the deep, finishing with 3-19 off his 20. He also took a couple of superb catches.

Meredith came back to bowl Baker and close with 4-9 off 17 balls, earning Fire victory by 25 runs.

Earlier, in Southampton, Hilton Cartwright was dismissed for one as Southern Brave were restricted to 5-139 by Northern Superchargers, who then won with a final ball six.

In the women's competition, Beth Mooney masterminded a valuable victory for Manchester Originals, beating Welsh Fire in Cardiff by seven wickets.

The visitors eased to victory with 19 balls to spare, after an impressive display in the field restricted Fire to 9-73 off their 100 balls.

Mooney made three with the bat but showed her worth as skipper as she juggled her bowling resources.

The innovative move was to give teenager pacer Monika Gaur 20 of the first 25 balls, at the end of which Fire were 2-12.

This is possible in the Hundred's format. Balls are bowled in sets of five, two sets at a time from each end, with bowlers able to deliver consecutive sets.

Nevertheless, it had not been done before in five seasons of the women's competition.

Gaur began with ten balls, setting the tone as the English left-armer dismissed international colleagues Sophia Dunkey (2) and Tammy Beaumont (0).

The world's No.1 spinner Sophie Ecclestone bowled the next five, conceding two runs, then Mooney brought Gaur back for ten more, five from each end, finishing with 2-10.

Ecclestone picked up 2-11, having Georgia Elwiss (11) stumped by Mooney and bowling West Indies' Hayley Matthews (22).

English quick Lauren Filer claimed 3-8, including Australia's Jess Jonassen (20 off 19), and Scot Kathryn Bryce took 2-7 in ten balls late on.

"I've sometimes got too many options but hopefully bowled them in the right spots today," said Mooney.

"I speak to the coaching staff (head coach is Michael Klinger), making sure I have good options in the Powerplay, then it is more about gut feel."

After Matthews had Mooney lbw following a review Bryce (45 off 41) took Manchester to the brink of victory before she was stumped in Jonassen's second set.

Jonassen took 1-10 off 15 but should have had more. In her first set Smales, on 1, edged behind off the glove, but it was a difficult edge to discern and Fire did not review.

Later, with the game almost done, Smales (20 not out) was dropped on 15 and Deandra Dottin should have been stumped, though neither were easy chances.

Earlier on Wednesday Southern Brave, the only squad without an Australian, thrashed Northern Superchargers by eight wickets with 17 balls to spare at Southampton.

Australia's Annabel Sutherland scored 20 while Phoebe Litchfield made five before falling to New Zealand's Sophie Devine (3-15). Georgia Wareham was absent.

Australians in The Hundred 2025

Birmingham Phoenix: Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Georgia Voll

London Spirit: David Warner, Ashton Turner; Grace Harris, Georgia Redmayne, Charli Knott

Manchester Originals: Beth Mooney

Northern Superchargers: Phoebe Litchfield, Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham

Oval Invincibles: Jason Behrendorff; Amanda-Jade Wellington, Meg Lanning

Southern Brave: Hilton Cartwright

Trent Rockets: Marcus Stoinis; Ash Gardner, Alana King, Heather Graham

Welsh Fire: Steve Smith, Riley Meredith, Chris Green; Jess Jonassen