Tymal Mills hat-trick helps Southern Brave thrash Welsh Fire

Tymal Mills took only the second hat-trick in the Men’s Hundred to help the Southern Brave romp to a comfortable nine-wicket win over the Welsh Fire.

The left-arm quick’s feat came off the final three balls of the Fire innings as they fell to 87 all out.

Their struggles had started early in Cardiff as returning England star Jonny Bairstow fell for a four-ball duck.

Craig Overton took two early wickets for the Brave, including Bairstow, while George Garton took three for eight runs off 15 balls through the middle of the innings to block any momentum for the home side.

Mills finished with four for 13.

Stephen Eskinazi’s 38 was the only bright spot in a target easily chased down by the Brave.

Finn Allen was out for 31 before Devon Conway’s 35 not out and Leus Du Plooy’s unbeaten 17 saw them through to victory with 41 balls to spare.

Poor start

Welsh Fire could not have got off to a much worse start, losing Bairstow cheaply in his first game for them this season.

He tried to hit Overton over mid-off but was caught off the mis-timed shot without scoring.

Overton got bounce and movement to also dismiss captain Tom Abell, caught behind by Conway.

Joe Clarke also went for a duck, caught Conway off the bowling of Garton, and when Mills dismissed Glenn Phillips with his first ball, giving Conway a third catch, the hosts were in deep trouble at 34 for from 41 balls.

David Willey’s cameo of 16 was also ended by Overton, this time with a sliding catch in the deep off the bowling of Garton.

Opener Stephen Eskinazi plotted his way to 38 off 24 balls but he was also out skying the ball off Garton.

It fell to Mills to take a hat-trick with the last three balls of the innings as the home side fell short of three figures.

Pakistan opening bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi delivered an effective opening five balls that did everything other than pick up a wicket for the Fire.

However, Willey’s first two balls then went for 10 as Brave opener Finn Allen started to find his range before falling, caught on the long on boundary by Willey off the bowling of David Payne.

Welsh Fire tried seven bowlers, but there was little pressure on Conway and Du Plooy as they knocked off the winning runs with ease.