Both sides arrive already eliminated from knockout contention as Welsh Fire host London Spirit at Sophia Gardens on Wednesday, August 12, at 3:00 PM local (7:30 PM IST), on what is set to be the hottest day of the tournament so far.
Welsh Fire’s playoff hopes ended when Sunrisers Leeds beat them by 6 wickets last time out, while London Spirit have been out of contention for some time.
With nothing but pride at stake, expect both sides to play with real freedom, and individual form, especially Joe Root’s excellent recent run, will be the main storyline.
WEF vs LNS Match Details
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Welsh Fire vs London Spirit, 31st Match |
| Series | The Hundred Men’s Competition 2026. Both sides are already eliminated from the knockout stages, with this match and one more remaining in the group phase for each. |
| Date | Wednesday, 12 August 2026 |
| Time | 3:00 PM BST local / 2:00 PM GMT / 7:30 PM IST |
| Venue | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Welsh Fire’s home ground. |
| Format | 100-ball innings per side, five sets of 20 balls, no bowler allowed more than two sets. |
| Captains | Phil Salt (Welsh Fire), Liam Livingstone (London Spirit) |
| Form | WEF: Eliminated from the knockouts after a 6-wicket loss to Sunrisers Leeds last time out. Joe Root has been in excellent recent form, with 171 runs across his last 5 matches at an average of 57 and a strike rate above 131. LNS: Also eliminated, but with individual performers still playing well, including Liam Livingstone (168 runs in 5 matches) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who has struck at better than 176 across his last 4 innings. |
| H2H | These sides have met occasionally under various identities in past seasons, with results split between them, though with both teams already out of contention, recent head-to-head history carries little weight today. |
Dream11 Team for WEF vs LNS, 31st Match
Top Picks for WEF vs LNS, 31st Match
| Player | Team | Role | Key Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | WEF | Captain / WK | Captain pick. Competition’s all-time leading run-scorer. At 2x. |
| Liam Livingstone | LNS | VC / AR | Vice-Captain pick. London Spirit’s most consistent performer this season. At 1.5x. |
| Joe Root | WEF | Batter | 171 runs in his last 5 matches at an average of 57. |
| Lhuan-dre Pretorius | LNS | WK-Batter | Striking at over 176 across his last 4 innings. |
| Jamie Overton | LNS | All-Rounder | 11 wickets across his last 9 matches, a genuine two-way threat. |
Pitch Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Venue | Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Welsh Fire’s home ground. |
| Pitch Type | A generally good batting surface, with the last match at this ground producing 155 batting first before the chasing side got home comfortably. Some early assistance for seamers, with the pitch easing up as the innings progresses. |
| Scoring | Totals at this ground have generally been competitive this season, in the mid-150s range. This is worth cross-checking against ESPNcricinfo Statsguru before publishing. |
| Pace vs Spin | New-ball pace from Marco Jansen and Chris Woakes for Fire, and Jamie Overton and David Willey for Spirit, should find some early assistance, with Rachin Ravindra and Liam Livingstone’s spin options coming into play through the middle overs. |
| Toss Factor | With chasing sides having generally done well at this ground this season, expect the toss winner to consider bowling first. |
Weather Report
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Temperature | A scorcher, with highs around 32°C (90°F), likely the hottest day of the tournament so far. |
| Sky | Clear and sunny throughout the day. |
| Rain Chance | Very low, roughly 5 percent. No weather interruptions expected. |
| Humidity | Lower than recent matches, though the heat itself could be a factor for players across a full 100 balls a side. |
| Overall | Hot, dry conditions with a hard, true pitch likely to reward good batting. Player hydration and fielding intensity in the heat could be a subtle factor as the match wears on. |
WEF vs LNS Toss Prediction
With chasing sides having generally done well at this ground this season, expect the toss winner to look to bowl first, especially given the hot conditions likely to sap energy as the day wears on.
**If Phil Salt (Welsh Fire) wins, **expect him to bowl first at home, trusting Marco Jansen and Chris Woakes to make early inroads before backing himself and Joe Root to chase down a target in the heat.
**If Liam Livingstone (London Spirit) wins, **expect him to also bowl first, using Jamie Overton and David Willey to apply early pressure before trusting Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Jonny Bairstow to see off a chase.
Injury and Team News
Welsh Fire:
Welsh Fire are out of contention after a 6-wicket loss to Sunrisers Leeds, but Joe Root’s excellent recent form remains a genuine bright spot, with 171 runs at an average of 57 across his last 5 matches. Captain Phil Salt will look to finish the group stage on a high with nothing left to play for but pride. No injury concerns have been reported for the squad ahead of this fixture.
**Key players: **Phil Salt (c, captain pick, competition’s all-time leading run-scorer), Joe Root (in excellent recent form), Matthew Short (leading run-scorer for the franchise this season), Marco Jansen (left-arm pace and lower-order hitting), Chris Woakes (experienced seam-bowling option), Lockie Ferguson (7 wickets across his last 5 matches).
**Predicted Welsh Fire XI: **Phil Salt (c, wk), Jordan Cox, Joe Root, Rachin Ravindra, Matthew Short, Marco Jansen, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Chris Woakes, Lockie Ferguson, Sam Cook, Asa Tribe.
London Spirit:
London Spirit are also eliminated, but captain Liam Livingstone continues to lead the side’s run-scoring charts with 168 runs across his last 5 matches, and Lhuan-dre Pretorius has been a genuine spark at the top of the order. No injury concerns have been reported for the squad ahead of this fixture.
**Key players: **Liam Livingstone (c, vice-captain pick, London Spirit’s most consistent performer), Lhuan-dre Pretorius (striking at over 176 in recent innings), Jonny Bairstow (experienced wicketkeeper-batter), Dewald Brevis (explosive South African top-order batter), Jamie Overton (11 wickets across his last 9 matches), David Willey (left-arm new-ball option).
**Predicted London Spirit XI: **Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Jonny Bairstow (wk), James Rew, Liam Livingstone (c), Dewald Brevis, James Coles, Jamie Overton, David Willey, Mason Crane, Adam Milne, Adam Zampa.
