WEF vs MAO Match Preview
Welsh Fire will be led by Tom Abell and has quite a few quality batsmen in their line-up. In addition to Abell, we are likely to see Glenn Phillips and Steven Eskinazi at the top of the order. Johnny Bairstow will be a key player lower down the order and will bat alongside all-rounders Roelof van der Merwe and David Willey.
Welsh Fire has strengthened its pace attack by bringing in Pakistan speedsters Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf, who will join Jake Ball and George Scrimshaw.
However, the team is lacking when it comes to spinners as Van der Merwe is the only quality option available. Also, some of the players aren’t likely to join until later in the season.
Led by the indomitable Jos Buttler, the Manchester Originals have a well-balanced squad on their hand. There are plenty of dependable batsmen including the skipper Buttler, Phil Salt, Wayne Madsen, and Laurie Evans.
Salt had an excellent outing last season where he scored 353 runs. All-rounders Ashton Turner and Usama Mir will add depth to the batting.
The bowling unit has received a bit of a setback before the start of the season as Wanindu Hasaranga and Fred Klaassen have pulled out due to injuries but the team does have a couple of replacements in the form of Ben Raine and Zaman Khan.
The pace attack is quite strong thanks to bowlers like Josh Little, Josh Tongue, and Jamie Overton, while Tom Hartley will lead the spin attack.
Weather Report
There is a forecast for rain on match day which can lead to some delays.
Pitch Report
The pitch at the Sophia Gardens is generally good to bat on. The average first-inning score on this ground is around 145. There is some movement early on for the bowlers but the surface does settle down as the game progresses.
Notable stats
Paul Walter's Consistent Bowling
Paul Walker was the leading wicket-taker for Manchester last season. He picked up 14 wickets in 10 matches at a strike rate of 9.40.
Team News
There are no updates regarding injuries from either side.
WEF vs MAO Probable 11
WEF Playing 11
- Luke Wells
- Joe Clarke (Wk)
- Chris Cooke
- Stephen Eskinazi
- Ben Green
- Tom Abell (C)
- Roelof Van Der Merwe
- George Scrimshaw
- Glenn Phillips
- Jake Ball
- David Willey
MAO Playing 11
- Phil Salt (Wk)
- Jos Buttler (C)
- Wayne Madsen
- Max Holden
- Laurie Evans
- Paul Walter
- Ashton Turner
- Tom Hartley
- Josh Tongue
- Joshua Little
- Richard Gleeson
Dream11 Prediction
We are backing the Manchester Originals to win here. They have won both their matches against the Welsh Fire and will be very confident when they take the field. The Welsh Fire on the other hand haven’t been in the best of forms during the two seasons and will find it difficult to bounce back.
Top Picks
Jos Buttler: One of the most devastating batsmen in the shortest format of the game, Buttler has scored 205 runs in his last 5 innings at a strike rate of 149.26.
Josh Little: Little had an excellent outing in the last season. He picked up 13 wickets in 5 matches at a strike rate of 6.40.
Glenn Phillips: Glenn Phillips has scored 110 runs in his 2 innings at a blistering strike rate.of 180.32.
WEF vs MAO Dream11 Team 1
Keeper: J Buttler (C), G Phillips, P Salt
Batters: L Evans, J Clarke, W Madsen
All-rounders: D Willey
Bowlers: J Littler, T Hartley, R van der Merwe (VC), J Tongue
