England pacer Jofra Archer lit up The Hundred Men’s Competition 2025 with sheer pace, delivering the fastest ball of the tournament so far during Southern Brave’s clash against Birmingham Phoenix at The Rose Bowl, Southampton. Archer, representing Southern Brave, was consistently above the 90 mph mark in his opening spell, with his fastest delivery hitting an impressive 93.0 mph.
Archer’s raw speed topped the tournament’s speed chart, surpassing fellow quicks Richard Gleeson (90.8 mph) and Riley Meredith (90.7 mph, 90.5 mph). The England star’s express pace troubled the Birmingham Phoenix openers, restricting them to just 21/0 after 16 balls despite Ben Duckett and Will Smeed finding the occasional boundary.
In his opening set of 6 deliveries, Archer conceded just 9 runs without picking up a wicket, maintaining an economy rate of 1.50 runs per ball. His probing lengths and blistering pace forced the batters onto the back foot, setting the tone for Southern Brave after they opted to bowl first.
Birmingham Phoenix innings after 16 balls:
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Ben Duckett: 13 (11 balls, 3 fours, SR 118.18)
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Will Smeed: 7 (5 balls, 1 four, SR 140.00)
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Partnership: 21 runs
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Bowler highlight: Jofra Archer – 6 balls, 4 dots, 9 runs, 0 wickets, fastest delivery 93.0 mph
Archer’s performance reaffirms his status as one of the quickest bowlers in world cricket, and with Southern Brave’s attack featuring both pace and spin options, the team will look to capitalize on his fiery start to put Birmingham Phoenix under pressure in the remainder of the match.
