Zak Crawley Stars as Superchargers Cruise to Eight-Wicket Win
Northern Superchargers chased down 144 with ease, beating Welsh Fire by 8 wickets in just 89 balls. Zak Crawley smashed an unbeaten 67 off 38 balls and took 2 catches to earn Player of the Match. Earlier, Bairstow hit 42 and Smith 29 for Fire, but they finished on 143 for 9. Potts and Rashid took two wickets each.
On a lively evening at Headingley, Leeds, on August 7, 2025, Welsh Fire took on Northern Superchargers in a thrilling match of The Hundred. After Northern Superchargers won the toss and elected to bowl, Fire’s seasoned opening pair of Steven Smith and Jonny Bairstow walked out to bat with confidence. The Leeds pitch was a batsman’s ally yet fair to bowlers, offering just enough bounce and carry to make strokeplay rewarding. Smith and Bairstow seized the moment, their aggressive intent signalling a big total was on the cards.
Welsh Fire Post a Competitive Total
Steven Smith, with his quirky yet effective style, was quick to settle in. He scored 29 runs off 18 balls, lacing two fours and a towering six. His knack for finding gaps and punishing loose balls from Mohammad Amir and Imad Wasim was a treat to watch. Smith’s unorthodox footwork and wristy shots kept the fielders guessing, making him a constant danger in the powerplay. Jonny Bairstow, meanwhile, was all power and precision, hammering seven fours in his 42 off 23 balls. His drives through the covers and straight down the ground were textbook, showcasing his ability to dominate. Together, they brought up a 50-run stand in just 29 balls, with Smith contributing 24 and Bairstow 26, setting Welsh Fire up for a potentially massive score.
Well. Hi there, Steve Smith! 👋#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/qnPazopH6g
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 7, 2025
The game shifted on the 37th ball when Matthew Potts struck a decisive blow. His delivery nipped back sharply, sneaking through Smith’s defenses to rattle the stumps. Fire were 62/1, but the very next ball brought more trouble. Luke Wells, facing his first delivery, nicked Potts to Michael Pepper behind the stumps, walking back for a golden duck. This double strike left Fire at 62/2 after 38 balls, exposing their middle order far too early. The loss of both openers in quick succession threw a wrench in their plans, forcing the incoming batsmen to regroup under pressure.
Bairstow, unfazed, kept the scoreboard moving with his attacking mindset. But the Superchargers’ bowlers, led by the crafty Adil Rashid, had other ideas. On the 44th ball, Rashid lured Bairstow into a rash shot, and a mistimed drive was snapped up by Zak Crawley at cover. Bairstow’s 42 was a valiant effort, but his exit left Fire at 78/3, a blow that hurt their momentum. The middle order now faced the tough task of rebuilding while keeping up with the run rate against a tight bowling attack.
Tom Abell, Fire’s captain, stepped up to steady the innings, scoring a quick 18 off 11 balls with three crisp fours. His aggressive approach offered hope, but a mix-up in the 62nd ball proved costly. A miscommunication led to his run-out, with Crawley’s sharp fielding and Pepper’s quick work behind the stumps leaving Fire at 99/4. The loss of Abell at this critical moment was a setback, as Fire needed someone to anchor the innings.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore, expected to bring firepower, struggled to find his groove. He scratched out 10 runs off 13 balls before Tom Lawes bowled him in the 68th ball, reducing Fire to 102/5. The middle order’s failure to build on the openers’ start was glaring. Saif Zaib and Paul Walter tried to stabilize things, but their efforts were short-lived. Zaib made 13 off 10 balls, hitting two fours, before falling to Imad Wasim in the 88th ball, caught by Harry Brook. Walter, who smashed a six in his 15 off 10, was dismissed by Rashid in the 84th ball, with Crawley taking another catch, leaving Fire at 128/7.
The lower order buckled under the Superchargers’ pressure. Chris Green managed just 3 off 4 balls before Mohammad Amir had him caught by Dan Lawrence in the 92nd ball. David Payne fell for a two-ball duck to Imad Wasim, leaving Fire at 133/8 after 90 balls. With the innings crumbling, Josh Hull (3* off 3) and Riley Meredith (7* off 5, with a four) added a few runs, but Fire could only muster 143/9 in their 100 balls. The innings, which started with such promise, fizzled out due to a lack of partnerships in the middle and death overs, with nine wickets falling for 81 runs after the powerplay.
Jonny Bairstow 🤝 Steve Smith
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 7, 2025
Welsh Fire's opening pair 🔥#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/hEFTEExprN
Northern Superchargers’ bowlers were relentless. Matthew Potts set the tone with 2/26 in 15 balls, his dismissals of Smith and Wells proving pivotal. Adil Rashid’s 2/25 in 20 balls, including Bairstow and Walter, showed his mastery of spin. Imad Wasim’s 2/26 in 20 balls and Mohammad Amir’s 1/28 in 20 balls kept the screws tight, while Tom Lawes (1/19 in 15 balls) and Dan Lawrence (0/19 in 10 balls) offered no breathing room. The Superchargers’ fielding, with Crawley’s two catches and a run-out, was top-notch, ensuring Fire’s total stayed modest.
Northern Superchargers Innings Gets a Crawley’s Masterclass
Chasing 144, Northern Superchargers opened with Zak Crawley and Dawid Malan, who took the attack to Welsh Fire from the start. They dominated the powerplay (balls 1–25), reaching 52/0, matching Fire’s early fire. Crawley was in sublime form, finishing unbeaten on 67 off 38 balls with five fours and four sixes. His elegant drives and lofted shots were the backbone of the chase, blending poise with power. Malan played a fine supporting role, scoring 41 off 29 balls with four fours and two sixes. Their 91-run stand in 52 balls put the Superchargers in control.
Harry Brook hits his first ball for 6 runs. Standard. 🫡#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/I8oX9FdFz4
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 7, 2025
Fire’s bowlers struggled to break through. David Payne (0/32 in 15 balls) and Josh Hull (0/26 in 15 balls) were expensive, with Payne conceding 2.13 runs per ball. Riley Meredith offered a ray of hope, dismissing Malan in the 52nd ball, caught by Payne at mid-off, with the score at 91/1. He struck again in the 62nd ball, trapping Michael Pepper lbw for 4 off 7, leaving Superchargers at 100/2. These wickets gave Fire a faint chance, but Crawley’s composure and Harry Brook’s arrival quickly shut the door.
Brook, the Superchargers’ captain, played a breezy unbeaten 25 off 15 balls, including a four and two sixes. His attacking play against Chris Green and Paul Walter kept the chase on track. Crawley reached his fifty off 29 balls, mixing aggression with smart shot selection. The third-wicket stand of 47 runs in 27 balls between Crawley and Brook guided Superchargers to 147/2 in 89 balls, sealing an eight-wicket win with 11 balls to spare.
Crawley’s unbeaten knock earned him the Player of the Match award, a nod to his batting and fielding brilliance. Fire’s bowling lacked bite. Meredith (2/33 in 20 balls) was the only one to take wickets, but his early overs were costly. Chris Green (0/23 in 19 balls) and Saif Zaib (0/5 in 5 balls) bowled tidily but couldn’t break the Superchargers’ rhythm.
A successful day for Northern Superchargers! ✅✅#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/WZa8u02EJv
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 7, 2025
Payne and Hull were off the mark, while Walter (0/17 in 10 balls) and Luke Wells (0/8 in 5 balls) couldn’t apply pressure. Fire’s fielding, save for Payne’s catch, lacked the spark needed to challenge Superchargers’ rampant batting. The chase was a lesson in execution. Crawley’s ability to anchor and accelerate, Malan’s early aggression, and Brook’s finishing flair made it look easy. Fire’s middle-order collapse stood in stark contrast to Superchargers’ cohesive batting, with Crawley’s knock proving the difference.
TCNI’s Magic Moment of the Game
Adil Rashid’s spell was the turning point of the match on August 7, 2025, at Headingley. The leg-spinner bowled 20 balls for just 25 runs, taking 2 key wickets at an economy of 1.25 runs per ball. His dismissals of Jonny Bairstow (42 off 23) and Paul Walter (15 off 10) broke Fire’s back, disrupting their momentum in the middle overs.
With 5 dot balls and only 2 fours conceded, Rashid’s mix of lengths and guile kept Fire under pressure, restricting them to 143/9. His spell paved the way for Superchargers’ comfortable chase, led by Zak Crawley’s unbeaten 67 off 38 balls.
TCNI’s Hero of the Day
Zak Crawley was TCNI’s Hero of the Day, delivering a match-winning performance. Unbeaten on 67 off 38 balls, with five fours and four sixes, he struck at 176.31, anchoring and accelerating the chase of 144.
On debut for Northern Superchargers 🫡#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/Ee35A1BNKO
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 7, 2025
His 91-run stand with Dawid Malan (41 off 29) set the tone, and his partnership with Harry Brook (25* off 15) sealed the deal. Facing Fire’s varied attack, Crawley’s composure and aggression shone through, earning him the Player of the Match award.
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