The side from Wales will be keen to finally make their mark on the competition after past struggles
Welsh Fire have discovered who they are set to play this summer in the Hundred following the release of this year’s fixture list.
The franchise has struggled to make a significant impact since the first edition of the tournament in 2021, with both the men’s and women’s teams suffering badly last time out.
The men’s side finished bottom of their league during the last edition of the competition which prompted the replacement of then head coach Gary Kristen with former Australian international Michael Hussey.
The women’s side also didn’t fair well, losing all but one of their six games while also finishing bottom of their group.
Both sides will be looking to reinvigorate their squads ahead of the summer with an upcoming players draft set to take place on March 2.
Before the draft however, teams across both competitions are expected to announce their retained lists from last season on February 16.
It has recently been announced that the Professional Cricketers Association have agreed a deal with Global Sports Data, a firm based in Cardiff, to help protect players’ data rights read more here.
All fixtures this season will be double-headers, with both the men’s and women’s competitions starting on the same day.
For each fixture, the women will start the day’s cricket early in the morning before the men’s side begin their games in the evening.
The competition is set to start on August 1, with both teams due to kickstart their campaigns at home against the Manchester Originals at the Sophia gardens, which could prove to be a tough opening day test for the men’s side against last season’s semi-finalists.
Both teams will have a two-day rest before travelling down to The Ageas Bowl in Southampton to face the Southern Braves, meaning that the women’s side will face a tough test early on against last season’s runners-up.
Welsh Fire will then face the current women’s champions Oval Invincibles on Sunday 6, played at the Oval in London.
August 10 will then see them face off against Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston in Birmingham, before a trio of home games against the Southern Braves, current men’s champions Trent Rockets, and the London Spirit.
The final group game will be played in Yorkshire against the Northern Superchargers on Tuesday 22 at Headingley in Leeds.
If either side are able to shake last season’s duck and progress into the next round of the competition, they will be involved in the eliminator round which will start on Saturday 26, with the final taking place on the following Sunday.
