The Men’s game against the London Spirit witnessed one of the finest white-ball innings ever played in a Men’s Hundred game at Sophia Gardens and nearly one of the greatest comebacks in the history of The Hundred as Jonny Bairstow made an unbeaten 86 from just 50 balls with 6 fours and as many sixes in a truly remarkable innings (writes Andrew Hignell).
It came as the Welsh Fire were chasing a target of 164 after David Warner had made an unbeaten 70 for the Spirit. Bairstow, who opened the batting with Steve Smith, was for the first part of his team’s innings largely a spectator as wickets tumbled like confetti at the other end, as the Fire sank to 55-6 after 47 balls.
But this was merely the prelude for a high-octane assault on the Spirit attack as, together with Chris Green, the Yorkshireman mounted a brilliant recovery. Having earlier flicked Dan Worrall to fine-leg for four, he ferociously square-drove the Australian before flat-batting Jamie Overton to cow-corner as well as doing the same to Luke Wood as the ball sailed over long-off for six. To the next delivery Bairstow dispatched the left-armer for another maximum as the ball thudded into the digital scoreboard at backward square-leg, before straight-driving the Lancastrian as the Fire’s task between 70 off 30 balls.
Green had also straight-driven Wood for four before swatting Overton to the boundary cushion at mid-wicket and then upper-cutting Richard Gleeson over point for a huge six, shortly before Bairstow completed his muscular half-century from just 36 balls by sweeping Dawson for four. He celebrated by biffing the spinner over long-on for six as the equation was further reduced to 38 from 15 balls, With cries of “Wales, Wales, Wales” echoing around the stadium from the crowd of 10,000, Bairstow then ramped Worrall for another four, before effortlessly flicking Overton for six over deep square-leg followed by a straight six into the Enclosure at the River End.
It meant that 17 were now needed from the last five balls but, after his earlier mauling Wood, held his nerve with the only boundary being another huge six to mid-wicket by Bairstow to bring up the century stand as the Fire ended eight runs short of their target and Bairstow unbeaten on 86 with his amazing innings beating the previous best for the Welsh Fire Men , set by Glenn Phillips, who scored 80 also against London Spirit at Sophia Gardens in 2021.
Speaking on the atmosphere at Sophia Gardens for the first home of the season, Bairstow said:
"Sophia Gardens holds a special place in my heart because I made my International debut here in 2011. The Welsh crowd are always a passionate bunch and I absolutely love playing in front of them. They always get behind their own. We’re passionate guys taking the field and we’re trying bloomin’ hard. I hope they keep coming and keep enjoying themselves at the cricket. We really appreciate their support."