Southern Brave host Welsh Fire in The Hundred on Thursday night, and Richard Mann is hoping to finish the regular season with a couple of big-priced winners.
Cricket betting tips: The Hundred
1pt Hilton Cartwright top Southern Brave batsman at 12/1 (BetVictor)
1pt Ben Kellaway top Welsh Fire batsman at 14/1 (General)
The Hundred comes to a conclusion this weekend, and the final match of the regular season takes place in Southampton on Thursday when Southern Brave host fellow strugglers Welsh Fire.
Both teams have endured disappointing campaigns, more so Brave who reached the final 12 months ago but have fallen a long way short this time around.
Brave won the reverse fixture in Cardiff by four runs, somehow defending 129, but Fire have picked up more recently, and only narrowly lost to a strong Trent Rockets outfit last weekend.
Bringing Stephen Eskinazi into the side at the top of the order has proven to be a big plus for Fire, and he has responded with scores of 42 and 53 in his three appearances thus far.
So, too, hometown boy Ben Kellaway who is a pocket rocket in the field, has taken wickets with his off spin, and has plenty to offer with the bat if getting the chance to showcase his talents.
If pushed, I’d actually favour Fire at odds-against, but truth be told, the match market is not one I want to get involved in, especially having been so strongly against Fire for much of the season.
One thing we can be clear on is that both batting units have been largely poor, with the likes of James Vince and Steve Smith in particular failing to live up to expectations.
As such, I’m going to throw a couple of darts at the respective top batsman markets, starting with HILTON CARTWRIGHT to be TOP SOUTHERN BRAVE BATSMAN at 12/1.
Cartwright is a proven T20 middle-order operator who has performed many a rescue act in the Big Bash for Melbourne Stars over the years, and it’s been a similar story in England.
Cartwright won this market with 42 and 51 not out before managing only eight last time out against London Spirit, but the fact he again came to the crease before the halfway mark in the innings confirms this is a market in which to play the middle order.
A huuuuge Hilton Cartwright 6️⃣ has the Southern Brave crowd cheering!#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/M1K9V5cyMT
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 18, 2025
Vince and others have been so poor this term that this really is an open heat, and given his strong current form, the 12/1 about Cartwright is just too big to turn down.
As for top WELSH FIRE BATSMAN, I’m keen to stick with my man BEN KELLAWAY at 14/1.
One thing Brave do have in their locker is a good pace attack, headed by Jofra Archer and backed up by Reece Topley and Craig Overton, so they could cause some early trouble.
Pencilled in to bat at number six, Kellaway is hot from a fine summer with Glamorgan, currently averaging 59.38 with the bat in the County Championship thanks to two hundreds and four fifties.
I really do think this is a player of real potential, so don’t want to miss him at such attractive odds.
Preview published at 1220 BST on 27/08/25
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