Southern Brave sealed a fourth-place finish in The Hundred with a four-run win over bottom side Welsh Fire in Southampton.
Chasing 168, Tom Kohler-Cadmore scored 84 from 46 balls, the third-highest score in this season’s competition, but was dismissed on the 98th ball of the innings as Fire fell just short.
Jason Roy powered Brave’s innings, striking 70 from 39 deliveries as the home side closed on 167-7, before Craig Overton had Fire openers Stephen Eskinazi and Steve Smith caught inside the first five balls of the chase.
Kohler-Cadmore, who struck seven sixes and three fours, dragged his side back into contention, putting on an 81-run fifth-wicket partnership with Ben Kellaway.
He cleared the ropes off Jordan Thompson to put his side in the box seat needing seven from three balls, but was bowled from the following delivery.
The Brave all-rounder only conceded singles from his remaining deliveries to close out the match.
The result means both Welsh Fire sides finish bottom of their respective standings, after the women’s side lost to the same opponents earlier in the day.
In the group stage’s final match, Brave lost openers Toby Albert and James Vince in the space of four balls after being put into bat, and saw James Coles bowled by Kellaway for seven to leave them 34-3 shortly after the powerplay.
However, Roy, who twice hit back-to-back sixes in an innings full of powerful strokeplay, put on partnerships of 55 with Leus du Plooy and 38 with Laurie Evans to push Brave towards a strong total.
Roy and Evans fell along with Michael Bracewell for the cost of just two runs as Brave wobbled, but Jordan Thompson and Craig Overton added 38 from the last 18 balls of the innings, runs that would prove decisive.
