A different way to warm up for The Hundred – Southern Brave cricketers abseil down the Spinnaker Tower!

The curtain is lifted on the 2022 competition this Wednesday when men’s defending champions Brave host Welsh Fire at Hampshire’s Ageas Bowl.

That’s a fixture which will pit Brave skipper James Vince against his Fire counterpart Jonny Bairstow, the hero of England’s Test win against New Zealand earlier this summer.

At the weekend, four Brave players - two from the men’s team, two from the women’s team - successfully completed a 100m abseil down the side of the Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf Quays.

Ross Whiteley, Georgia Adams, Joe Weatherley and Paige Scholfield stepped out of their comfort zone to complete the challenge.

Whiteley and Weatherley helped Hampshire lift the Vitality Blast T20 silverware for the third time in the county’s history last month.

Whiteley was also part of the Brave side that defeated Birmingham Phoenix in the Lord’s final last year - hitting an unbeaten 44 off 19 balls in his side’s 32-run success.

The Southern Brave women’s team also start their fixtures at The Ageas Bowl, hosting London Spirit on August 12.