Richard Mann has started The Hundred in good form, and now previews Thursday's clash between Northern Superchargers and Welsh Fire.
Cricket betting tips: Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire
2pts Steve Smith top Welsh Fire batsman at 7/2 (Star Sports)
STEVE SMITH is a welcome addition to the roster for this year’s edition of The Hundred, and I make him the headline bet for Thursday’s fixture between Northern Superchargers and Welsh Fire.
To some, the Australian might be viewed as a fading force in T20 and short-format cricket, but I’m not sure I agree with that, especially for a competition like this which is a level below the Indian Premier League.
The other thing to note is that Smith doesn’t actually play that much T20 cricket nowadays, but when he does, he generally still performs to a high level.
In fact, at the conclusion of last winter’s home Test series with India, Smith returned to the Big Bash and dominated – only playing three matches but still making a hundred and a half-century.
In the previous season, it was a similar story, and he just looks a level above most franchise competitions – regardless of the format.
And in here, heading up a Welsh Fire batting unit that was generally poor last season, he looks the class act, and crucially, the one who will be expected to control the innings while his more aggressive colleagues take more risks.
That batting line-up features Jonny Bairstow and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but both are more enigmatic than consistent nowadays, and Smith looks particularly solid to be TOP WELSH FIRE BATSMAN at 7/2.
The one slight doubt concerns his position in the Fire batting order, but fellow Australian Mike Hussey is head coach of the franchise, so I’d expect him to have noted that Smith’s recent strong performances in the Big Bash came when opening the batting.
Usual rules apply at Headingley, with this generally a very high-scoring ground in all formats.
However, having complete trust in either of these two sides isn’t easy in regards to any both teams to score bets, and all things considered, the Smith wager looks the safest option at this stage.
Preview published at 1725 BST on 06/08/25
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