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Seifert and Buttler Tear Through Welsh Fire as Manchester Chase 156 in 69 Balls
Tim Seifert and Jos Buttler demolished Welsh Fire’s bowling attack as Manchester Super Giants chased 156 in only 69 balls to revive their Hundred qualification campaign.
Manchester Super Giants began the afternoon outside The Hundred’s qualification positions and ended it looking like one of the tournament’s most dangerous batting teams.
Tim Seifert struck an unbeaten 62, Jos Buttler finished on 51 not out, and Paul Walter launched 37 from 18 balls as Manchester chased Welsh Fire’s 155 for four in only 69 deliveries at Emirates Old Trafford on August 5.
The nine-wicket victory earned Manchester four points and repaired much of the net-run-rate damage caused by their recent 45-run defeat against MI London. Welsh Fire remain among the leading qualification contenders, but the speed of this defeat weakened their previously strong position.
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TL;DR
- Manchester Super Giants beat Welsh Fire by nine wickets with 31 balls remaining.
- Tim Seifert struck an unbeaten 62, while Jos Buttler finished on 51 not out.
- Paul Walter gave the chase its explosive start with 37 from 18 balls.
- Matthew Short scored 71 and Phil Salt made 48 for Welsh Fire.
- Gus Atkinson claimed two for 12, while Josh Tongue conceded only 17 from 20 balls.
- Manchester moved to 12 points and strengthened their top-three qualification hopes.
Manchester Super Giants vs Welsh Fire scorecard
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Competition | The Hundred Men’s Competition 2026 |
| Match | Manchester Super Giants vs Welsh Fire |
| Date | August 5, 2026 |
| Venue | Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester |
| Toss | Welsh Fire elected to bat |
| Welsh Fire | 155/4 from 100 balls |
| Manchester Super Giants | 156/1 from 69 balls |
| Result | Manchester Super Giants won by nine wickets |
| Balls remaining | 31 |
| Manchester’s top scorer | Tim Seifert, 62 not out |
| Welsh Fire’s top scorer | Matthew Short, 71 from 47 balls |
| Best bowling | Gus Atkinson, 2/12 from 15 balls |
| Turning point | Walter and Seifert added 74 before the 35th ball |
| Qualification impact | Manchester moved to 12 points; Welsh Fire stayed on 16 |
Welsh Fire build steadily but leave runs behind
Welsh Fire’s 155 for four appeared competitive when the first innings ended. Matthew Short and captain Phil Salt had constructed a 119-run opening partnership, giving the visitors a strong foundation without exposing the middle order.
Short scored 71 from 47 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes. Salt contributed 48 from 37, with three fours and three sixes. Their partnership combined placement with controlled aggression, but Manchester’s bowlers prevented the innings from reaching the level its foundation promised.
Welsh Fire reached only 55 from their first 40 deliveries. The openers accelerated afterward, but the cautious beginning meant they needed an exceptional finish to approach 175.
Josh Tongue delivered the most disciplined spell. He conceded 17 runs from 20 balls, produced 10 dot balls and removed Salt. Liam Dawson supported him with 20 controlled deliveries for 26, forcing the batters to generate their own pace.
Gus Atkinson then disrupted Welsh Fire’s finish. He removed Jordan Cox for 11 and Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a duck, completing an excellent return of two for 12 from 15 balls.
Rachin Ravindra’s unbeaten 14 from five deliveries and Marco Jansen’s five from three lifted Welsh Fire to 155. The total looked defendable, although Manchester’s bowling had denied them the late surge normally associated with a 119-run opening stand.
Walter gives Manchester immediate control
A chase of 156 required a scoring rate of 1.56 runs per ball. Walter and Seifert made that requirement look modest almost immediately.
Walter attacked the new ball, refusing to let Welsh Fire’s quicks settle into a defensive rhythm. His 37 from 18 balls contained seven fours and carried Manchester to 74 before Sam Cook finally removed him.
The dismissal came too late to change the direction of the chase. Walter had already reduced the target by almost half while using fewer than one-fifth of the available deliveries.
Seifert continued attacking through the powerplay and middle phase. He punished width, drove cleanly through the off side and kept rotating the strike whenever Welsh Fire tightened their lines.
His unbeaten 62 gave Manchester’s chase continuity, while Buttler supplied the finishing quality.
Buttler turns a fast chase into a procession
Buttler entered with Manchester needing 82 runs from 65 balls. Any hope Welsh Fire held of forcing a slowdown disappeared once he began manipulating their slower deliveries.
The Manchester captain reached an unbeaten 51 and completed the chase alongside Seifert after only 69 balls. Their unbroken second-wicket partnership added 82 from 34 deliveries.
Welsh Fire tried pace, cutters and changes of angle, but none of those options created sustained pressure. Chris Woakes found brief control, while Cook claimed the only wicket. Marco Jansen and Rachin Ravindra absorbed most of the punishment as Manchester maintained a scoring rate above two runs per ball.
The response carried extra significance after MI London’s power hitters had placed Manchester’s qualification hopes under pressure. Four days later, Manchester produced an even faster batting assault of their own.
Three turning points behind Manchester’s nine-wicket win
Tongue and Dawson restrict the opening phase
Salt and Short added 119, but Manchester prevented their partnership from accelerating early. Welsh Fire reached 55 from 40 balls, leaving too much work for the closing sets.
Atkinson disrupts the finish
Cox struck 11 from six balls before Atkinson removed him. The fast bowler then dismissed Kohler-Cadmore for a duck, stopping Welsh Fire from turning a stable platform into a total beyond 170.
Walter attacks before Welsh Fire can defend
Walter’s 37 from 18 shifted the pressure immediately. By the time Cook broke the opening stand, Manchester needed fewer than 1.3 runs per ball with Seifert already set.
Updated Hundred 2026 points table
The table reflects the completed Manchester Super Giants vs Welsh Fire match. Net run-rate decimals may change slightly when the competition publishes its finalized calculation.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Lost | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trent Rockets | 5 | 4 | 1 | 16 |
| 2 | Welsh Fire | 6 | 4 | 2 | 16 |
| 3 | Manchester Super Giants | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| 4 | MI London | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| 5 | Sunrisers Leeds | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 |
| 6 | Southern Brave | 6 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| 7 | London Spirit | 5 | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| 8 | Birmingham Phoenix | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Manchester’s huge win should place them ahead of MI London and Sunrisers on net run rate, although those teams retain matches in hand.
The top team advances directly to the final, while second and third meet in the Eliminator. Official fixtures, results and competition information are available through The Hundred’s official website.
What the result means for qualification
Manchester can reach 20 points by winning their remaining matches against Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds. Two victories would give them a strong chance of reaching the top three, while one win could leave them dependent on net run rate and other results.
Their recovery matters because the team had lost three consecutive matches before this performance. Seifert previously led Manchester past London Spirit, a victory covered in The Sports Encounter’s report on Liam Livingstone’s unsuccessful fight at Lord’s.
Welsh Fire remain well placed with 16 points and two matches left. A victory against either Sunrisers Leeds or London Spirit would take them to 20 and strengthen their qualification claim considerably.
Their earlier win over Southern Brave had appeared to place them close to safety, with Matthew Short’s all-round performance tightening Welsh Fire’s grip on qualification. Manchester have reopened that conversation.
The defeat also revived memories of Welsh Fire’s nine-wicket loss to Trent Rockets, when Ben Duckett punished them in Cardiff. Both losses exposed the same concern: when their bowlers fail to strike early, they struggle to regain control.
Manchester find the performance their season needed
Welsh Fire batted well enough to win many Hundred matches. Manchester’s bowlers kept their total within reach, and the top order then dismantled it with 31 balls unused.
Walter created the opening. Seifert controlled the chase. Buttler finished it without allowing Welsh Fire a route back into the contest.
Manchester still have work to do, but their season now carries genuine qualification momentum. Welsh Fire remain ahead on points, although another heavy defeat could turn net run rate into an uncomfortable problem during the final week.