Haris Rauf, David Payne & Van der Merwe Bowl Brilliantly in Birmingham Phoenix vs Welsh Fire

Welsh Fire continued their impressive start to the 2023 Men’s Hundred with a six-wicket win over Birmingham Phoenix at Birmingham on Thursday night. The Fire restricted Phoenix to 112 for 7 in their 100-ball innings, with Haris Rauf (2 for 20), David Payne (2 for 11) and Roelof van der Merwe (2 for 16) all taking two wickets apiece.

Not a conventional way to take a catch, but Roelof van der Merwe and Welsh Fire won't mind! 🤣#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/58hfm2PyzH

— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 10, 2023

In reply, Stephen Eskinazi led the way with a blistering 43 off 18 balls as the Fire cruised to victory with 15 balls to spare. Rauf was the pick of the bowlers for the Fire, with his pace and accuracy causing problems for the Phoenix batsmen.

He dismissed Jamie Smith and Liam Livingstone in his 20-ball spell. His sensational pace broke the waist of Phoenix’s batting line-up. Payne was also impressive, with his slower ball proving to be a handful for the Phoenix batsmen.

Shaheen Afridi & Haris Rauf duo:

40 balls, 12 dots, 46 runs & 3 wickets

– Stuart Broad "On last 10 balls went for 6/2. It shows how much Welsh Fire got on top of Phoenix & that's due to high-class international quality bowling of Haris & Shaheen who have been superb #TheHundred pic.twitter.com/XWtVFnYEhU

— Ahmad Haseeb (@iamAhmadhaseeb) August 11, 2023

He dismissed Dan Mousley along with a key scalp of Moeen Ali in his 15-ball spell. Van der Merwe is another bowler who shined with the ball for the Fire as he shared two wickets for just 16 runs from his 15-ball spell. He is the second most economical bowler for the Fire after Payne.

In reply, Eskinazi set the tone for the Fire’s chase with a blistering start. He hit 6 fours and 2 sixes in his 18-ball innings, and he put on a 67-run much-needed partnership with Joe Clarke (16) for the first wicket. The Fire never looked back after that, and they reached their target with ease.

The win moves the Fire up to third in the table, while Phoenix remain bottom.

Key Performances

Haris Rauf to Liam Livingstone ✅

A perfect way to neutralize the longest six in history. This is exactly how you sign off on a contest. pic.twitter.com/3gKHb7MqAc

— Nawaz 🇵🇰 (@Rnawaz31888) August 10, 2023

Haris Rauf: The Pakistan international was in devastating form with the ball, taking 2 for 20 from his 20-ball spell. He dismissed Jamie Smith and Liam Livingstone in his 20-ball spell, and he also helped with keeping the run rate low for the Phoenix.

David Payne: The England bowler was also impressive, with his slower ball proving to be a handful for the Birmingham Phoenix batsmen. He dismissed Dan Mousley along with a key scalp of Moeen Ali in his 15-ball spell.

Roelof van der Merwe: The South African all-rounder Van der Merwe contributed majorly as he is another bowler who shined with the ball for the Fire as he shared two wickets for just 16 runs from his 15-ball spell. He is the second most economical bowler for the Fire after Payne.

Stephen Eskinazi: The Fire opener batter led the way with the bat, scoring a blistering 43 off 18 balls. He hit 6 fours and 2 sixes in his innings, and he put on a 67-run much-needed partnership with Joe Clarke (16) for the first wicket.