🏏 Men’s The Hundred – 3rd Match Analysis & Fantasy Picks
Match 3 – Northern Superchargers (Men) vs Welsh Fire (Men)
- Venue: Headingley, Leeds
- Date & Time: Thursday, 7 August 2025 – 18:30 BST / 23:00 IST
- Format: 100‑ball match, men’s fixture following the women’s curtain‑raiser
🧑✈️ Predicted Playing XIs
Northern Superchargers Men (Predicted)
Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Michael‑Kyle Pepper (wk), Harry Brook (c), Dan Lawrence, David Miller, Imad Wasim, Matthew Potts, Adil Rashid, Mohammad Amir, Pat Brown
Welsh Fire Men (Predicted)
Stephen Eskinazi, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Tom Kohler‑Cadmore, Steven Smith, Luke Wells, Tom Abell (c), Paul Walter, Chris Green, Riley Meredith, David Payne, Mason Crane
🌤️ Headingley Pitch & Conditions
- Headingley offers good pace and bounce, favoring stroke-play, but seamers get early help with the new ball. Spinners may come into play in the middle overs.
- The boundary sizes are large, yet consistent bounce opens up opportunities for big shots.
🎯 Fantasy XI Picks
Here’s an optimally balanced fantasy cricket XI for The Hundred men’s match:
| Role | Player | Why Picked? |
|---|---|---|
| Captain | Harry Brook | Formidable power‑hitting and local favourite arevents.co.uk+13CricTracker+13Cricket World+13 |
| Vice‑Captain | Jonny Bairstow | Yorkshire hero, key opener, in red form bet365 News |
| Top‑Order Bats | Dawid Malan, David Miller | Experience and finishing ability |
| Wicketkeeper | Michael‑Kyle Pepper | Reliable top‑order contributions |
| All‑Rounders | Imad Wasim, Ben Dwarshuis | Seam and spin variety; middle‑over utility |
| Spinners | Adil Rashid, Chris Green | Economic specialists, wicket-taking threat |
| Seamers | Matthew Potts, David Payne | Pace options with early swing + death bowling |
🔍 Match Flow & Fantasy Insight
- Expect NSC’s seamers (Potts, Amir, Rashid) to exploit early movement, while Fire bank on pace from Payne and Meredith.
- Brook’s ability to clear boundaries makes him the standout fantasy pick. Bairstow’s form and home advantage give him high ceiling as well.
- All-rounders like Wasim and Green offer both economical spells and runs—ideal point earners in fantasy formats.
✅ Likely Match Scenario
If Superchargers bowl first
- Expect early wickets, aiming to restrict Fire to ~120–130 in powerplay timeframe.
- Chase to require strong middle-order responses; target to defend via accurate leg-spin in middle overs.
If Fire bowl first
- Superchargers could set high total (140+), relying on Brook and Miller to attack spinners in middle phase.
- Key for Fire to restrict scoring in powerplay which often proves decisive in chasing matches.
