00:00Now, amidst the shake-up of the 100 this year, Welsh Fire are gearing up for the new season
00:09and a fresh deal is set to shape their campaign. With big ambitions to improve on past performances,
00:15the team has been making key moves behind the scenes. We're taking a look at what this
00:20new deal means for the squad, how it could impact their chances in the competition and
00:24what fans can expect when they take to the field. With the new season fast approaching,
00:30all eyes will be on whether Welsh Fire can ignite their campaign and make a serious push
00:35for success.
00:36Well, Charles, of course, the cricket season is approaching very soon. We'll have the county
00:43championship starting things firstly, but then, of course, as we get into the midst
00:46of the summer, the 100 will make its return, as it has done for the past couple of years.
00:51It's a tournament that, let's be honest, it divides opinion. Certainly for the women's
00:55game, it's done wonders. But in the men's game, I think, given the fact that you've
00:58already got the Blast and the One Day Cup, it's an interesting one. But certainly this
01:03year, there's a lot of news going into it because, of course, different ownerships and
01:08different stakes have been agreed in terms of the franchises, if that's the way you want
01:12to describe them. But for Welsh Fire, at least, they've agreed what is a takeover. So what's
01:17the latest on that and what could it mean for them in this cricket season?
01:21Yeah, of course, the 100 has been received with a bit of a mixed bag of emotions. Obviously,
01:28the target audience it goes for is families, is young people trying to get into the game,
01:33which is sort of admirable from the ECB and where they want to sort of take the game.
01:39They do need, there has been a decline in youngsters getting into cricket because of
01:44the availability of park pitches, park grounds where kids can go and play cricket. And obviously,
01:52the weather doesn't help, et cetera. So it has been tough for them. So, on that side
01:57of the ball, it's a really appealing sort of format for these people to go midweek with
02:03their families, go and watch it. Very affordable as well. And the fact there's so many different
02:08teams across different regions is also a really nice touch.
02:13On the other hand of that, obviously, it does sort of take the shine away from the likes
02:17of the T20 Blast and One Day Cricket, et cetera. So, yeah, you can see the sort of both sides
02:25of it in terms of that. In terms of the franchises, what it means is the ECB have sold majority
02:33stakes in pretty much every 100 team, which is massive for the competition. It sort of
02:40makes this whole rebrand that's starting from 2026. They're going into that with new sort
02:46of logos, new clothes, et cetera, merchandise to take the sport forward, take the format
02:53forward. And I think it's a massive move. Obviously, Welsh Fire haven't been incredible
02:59in a couple of hundred seasons they've been in. As you say, the Welsh game, the women's
03:06game, sorry, has been monumental for them. But yeah, there's a share sold in them. In
03:13the Welsh Fire especially, that's big. It hasn't sold for as much as, for example, the
03:19London Clubs, London Spirit and Oval Invincibles. They've collected the most due to being in
03:24the capital and playing at Lords and the Oval, for example. But yeah, it's huge for Welsh
03:29Fire, huge for the 100. And this ECB sort of initiative to get these stakes sold was
03:35big. And hopefully, they are hoping it's going to have a real positive impact on cricket
03:41in general. So we could see it from the start of the summer.
03:44And not only that, of course, for the Welsh Fire, they have acquired what is quite a marquee
03:49signing, to be fair to them, with the acquisition of Steve Smith, one of the great modern
03:54batsmen from an Australian perspective, test cricket, OGI cricket, T20 cricket. He's good
04:00across all formats. And yeah, I mean, obviously, the 100 will be a bit different because, of
04:06course, it's probably not what he's massively used to. But it's quite the acquisition there
04:10for the Welsh Fire, whether he can adapt to this different format of the game. But regardless,
04:15it's exciting for them, isn't it?
04:19Oh, incredible. I mean, obviously, Steve Smith, he was set to play for Welsh Fire in the
04:24inaugural season of the competition, which was obviously delayed a year due to the COVID-19
04:28pandemic. So finally, he gets his chance to come over here and really make a move. Now,
04:33obviously, very exciting times for Welsh cricket and getting into the game in terms of
04:40cricket in the nation and where it can take them this summer.
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