In the last game of the group stage, Welsh Fire could have climbed as high as fourth in the table with a win against Southern Brave in Southampton but defeat left them rock bottom, joining their women’s team in ending up with the wooden spoon.

In the end it was Southern Brave, with Jason Roy (70 off 39) rolling back the years, who ended up in that fourth position, after a game that was all about playing for pride, the top three positions in the table all having been decided days ago.

Fire chose to field and with the Brave at 10 for 2 off 14 balls, the Welsh side were delighted with their start. But Roy was at his belligerent best, counterattacking brilliantly, twice hitting successive sixes to get himself going and bringing up his 50 from 30 balls. David Payne (2 for 17) used his smarts to do for him in the end but despite 30 from 21 from Leus du Plooy, it took a rambunctious finish from Craig Overton and Jordan Thompson to take the home side up to an impressive looking 167 for 7.

In reply, Overton took two scalps in the first five balls, one of them the big wicket of Steve Smith, snapped up by Roy at extra cover. With the score at 24 for 3 after the Powerplay, the Fire’s hopes seemed all but extinguished. And when Tom Abell went, with 117 needed from 59, it was a tall order but Tom Kohler Cadmore and Welsh starlet Ben Kellaway soaked up the pressure and then exploded, hitting shots all around the ground to bring the Fire right back into things.

Kohler-Cadmore matched Roy in striking a brace of successive sixes and Kellaway lost nothing by comparison, the two combining for 81 in 39 balls and leaving the match in the balance.

In an innings where 40 overs of spin had gone for 85 runs, it was left to seamers Thompson and Tymal Mills to bowl the last 20 with 36 needed and their death bowling skills were evident, with a succession of yorkers and slower balls. It came down to 18 from 5 and a no ball and a slugged six made the Fire favourites, but then Thompson bowled Kohler-Cadmore (84 off 46) to leave seven needed off two, then six of off one. Another nailed yorker was enough to see the Brave home.

Meerkat Match Hero Overton said: “It was great to get across the line; we haven’t quite put in the performances this year so it’s good to finish with a win. It was about doing the basics; it swung a bit and the way the boys finished off was great.

“The boys have been awesome; the group has been similar for the last three of four years and it’s nice to get back together. We didn’t quite perform how we would have wanted but that’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Brief scores:
Southern Brave [Men] 167 for 7 in 100 balls (Jason Roy 70, Leus du Plooy 30, Jordan Thompson 16*, Craig Overton 18*; David Payne 2-17,Riley Meredith 2-50, Ben Kellaway 1-35, Josh Hull 1-24) beat Welsh Fire [Men] 163 for 6 in 100 balls (Tom Abdell 20, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 84, Ben Kellaway 33; Craig Overton 3-22, Jordan Thompson 2-29, James Coles1-45) by four runs

[Cricinfo]