Watch: Haris Rauf tore through the Southern Brave’s batting order last night (August 4), ripping George Garton’s off stump out of the ground in a tense match at the Ageas Bowl.
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Welsh Fire came into the game off the back of their first win in the competition since 2021, and looked to be dominating against Brave for the first half of the innings too. Bowling first, they reduced the home side to 76-8 with just 24 balls of the innings remaining.
Rauf was crucial in instigating the collapse, along with Pakistan teammate Shaheen Shah Afridi. After Shaheen dismissed Devon Conway for the first wicket, Rauf took care of Finn Allen with his fourth delivery, snaring him caught behind. Two balls later, he bowled a brutal 89mph length ball to Garton, beating him for pace and taking out his off stump.
Garton watched his stump cartwheel out of the ground behind him and swung his bat in frustration as Rauf shouted in celebration. That wicket gave Rauf two in three balls and left the Brave 47-4.
Rauf also blasted out James Fuller with a bumper, before being hit for two boundaries in Chris Jordan’s late onslaught, to finish with figures of 3-27.
Jordan himself played one of the great Hundred innings, scoring 8 runs off 13 balls before he exploded to take the Brave to a defendable total. He hit ten boundaries including three consecutive sixes to finish on 70* off 32 balls, and set Welsh Fire 148 to win. In a dramatic finish, David Willey needed three off the final ball of the game to win, but skied a ball from Tymal Mills to give a catch at point.
Watch: Haris Rauf bowls George Garton with 89mph scorcher below
Haris Rauf 🔥🔥🔥
We will never get tired of that sound!#TheHundred pic.twitter.com/LGXu9RYOjW
— The Hundred (@thehundred) August 4, 2023