Joe Root 58* (40) guided Welsh Fire to a controlled seven‑wicket win over bottom side Birmingham Phoenix in the men’s Hundred. Root struck fours on his first three balls and shared a 77‑run opening stand with Phil Salt, who finished on 46 (36) with four sixes. The partnership helped Fire chase 138-3 in 96 balls, with Root hitting the winning runs before sprinting for the final single. The victory lifts Welsh Fire from fifth to second in the table, trailing the Trent Rockets on net run‑rate. Birmingham Phoenix fell to 137-9 after an early collapse that saw them go from 53-1 to 79-5. Key wickets were taken by Lockie Ferguson and Marco Jansen for Phoenix, while Jordan Cox was bowled by Saqib Mahmood. The match, played at Edgbaston, saw Phoenix’s top scorer Joe Clarke finish on 35 (23). Root’s debut as England’s Test captain added extra drama to the win.

Root’s unbeaten half‑century and the strong partnership with Salt were the match’s turning points, as the Welsh side capitalised on a shaky Phoenix batting display to secure a comfortable finish.