The Hundred Men’s 2021 – Oval Invincibles vs Welsh Fire – 16th Match Preview
The event, which began with a large fan base, is slowly but steadily losing its allure. We aren’t even halfway through the Hundred, but the attention has shifted from the Hundred to the larger events. Most of the teams’ preparations for the World T20 have already begun, and the Hundred is losing its England majors to the test series between England and India.
In the Hundred, Welsh Fire will face Oval Invincibles in a match that will determine the top half of the points standings. Both teams are currently engaged in mid-table fights, and the victor of this match will most certainly climb to occupy one of the two spots.
The match between the two teams starts on Monday, August 2, 2021, at The Oval Cricket Ground in London.
Match Details to Note
Match: Oval Invincibles vs. Welsh Fire, The Hundred Men 2021
Date: August 2, 2021 (Monday)
Time: 11:00 PM (IST)
Venue: Kennington Oval, London
Oval Invincibles vs Welsh Fire Team Previews
The Oval Invincibles
Oval Invincibles may be ranked fourth on the leaderboard, but they aren’t doing as well as they might. They began off well with a win against Manchester Originals but soon faltered. With a defeat and a wash-out already behind them, the Oval Invincibles will need to win here to remain in the top four.
With a net run-rate of 0.099, the Invincibles now have three points to their name. They have appeared in two full matches, winning one and losing one. The Oval Invincibles have a squad that is well-suited to the shortest format of the game, but their consistency will always be questioned, according to the person they have.
Despite having some of the best attackers in the game, the Invincibles struggled to score even a par total in their most recent encounter. Batting first on a good pitch, they managed only 127 runs as none of their batsmen were able to score freely against a disciplined bowling assault. Jason Roy did get fifty, but his delivery was a touch too sluggish to have any impact. The Invincibles would have scored a lot less if it hadn’t been for a 34-run blast from Tom Curran down the order.
Will Jacks, Colin Ingram, and Laurie Evan all failed to reach double figures as the Invincibles battled to form a partnership. Their bowlers performed well to keep the game going, but 127 was a tad low to defend against a powerful batting outfit. Sunil Narine, Saqib Mahmood, and Jordan Clark all bowled well, but the rest of the bowlers were a touch too costly.
Oval Invincibles Squad
Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Sunil Narine, Colin Ingram, Sam Billings (w/c), Laurie Evans, Jordan Clark, Tom Curran, Tabraiz Shamsi, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood, Nathan Sowter, Sandeep Lamichhane, Jordan Cox, Brandon Glover, Alex Blake
Batting was a big concern in the previous game for the Invincibles. They could only muster 127 runs on the board. Jason Roy stood out with his 52, but he couldn’t get any help from the other hitters.
Predicted XI: Sam Billings (C & wk), Jason Roy, Will Jacks, Jordan Clark, Colin Ingram, Laurie Evans, Sunil Narine, Tom Curran, Tabraiz Shamsi, Reece Topley, Saqib Mahmood.
Welsh Fire
Welsh Fire is only one spot higher than Oval Invincibles, although they have fared far better than the latter. They not only have one more win than the Invincibles, but they also appear to be more prepared and more established. However, with Jonny Bairstow departing to play for England, things will undoubtedly change for them. It remains to be seen how big of an impact his absence will have, but it will be felt – that much is clear.
Welsh Fire has won two of their three matches so far in this. Their two wins came in their first two games, and they are coming off a demoralizing defeat to Manchester Originals in their most recent contest. They now have four points and a net run rate of 0.201. A win here will put them in second place on the ladder, which is precisely what they’ll be looking for.
Welsh Fire’s flaws with the ball were exposed as they allowed Manchester Originals to easily chase down a respectable score of 150 runs. Having said that, the Originals will be unconcerned for the time being because those bowlers performed admirably for them in the first two matches. The absence of Jonny Bairstow at the crease was telling, as Welsh Fire was unable to build any momentum at the top.
Welsh Fire has a good batting team even without Jonny Bairstow, but execution will be vital. Tom Banton and Glenn Phillips, for example, have been far from their best, and now is the moment to shine. The availability of numerous dynamic all-rounders in Matt Critchley, James Neesha, and Ryan Higgins ensures that they have adequate firepower without sacrificing bowling. The bowlers have done well so far this season.
Welsh Fire Squad
Tom Banton (w), Joshua Cobb, Ben Duckett (C), Glenn Phillips, Leus du Plooy, Matthew Critchley, James Neesham, Ryan Higgins, Qais Ahmad, Jake Ball, David Payne, Liam Plunkett, David Lloyd, Ian Cockbain
With Bairstow absent, Welsh Fire needed firepower at the top. Despite this, they managed to score 150 runs. Captain Ben Duckett, Leus du Plooy, and Matt Critchley all performed admirably with the bat.
Predicted XI: Ben Duckett (C), Tom Banton (wk), Joshua Cobb, Glenn Phillips, Leus du Plooy, James Neesham, Matthew Critchley, Ryan Higgins, Qais Ahmad, Jake Ball, David Payne
Oval Invincibles vs Welsh Fire Prediction
Given the circumstances and the relative places of the two teams on the point table, this is a crucial game, to say the least. Both teams are coming off losses in their last matches, and getting back on track will be their top goal. This match has a lot riding on it, and it’s going to be a good one. When comparing the two teams and their respective on-paper lineups, Welsh Fire looks to be the superior side, even without Jonny Bairstow. Given that, as well as the other considerations mentioned above, betting for Welsh Fire to win should be the way to go here.
