NOS vs VEF Prediction: Who will win today's The Hundred Men's match?

Two stacked teams - the Northern Superchargers and the Welsh Fire - face off in Match 4 of The Hundred Men's competition at Headingley in Leeds on Saturday, July 24.

The Superchargers, led by England all-rounder Ben Stokes, have a set of quality T20 batsmen in their ranks. Chris Lynn, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Faf du Plessis and Adam Lyth are among the big-hitting willow-wielders on the roster, with several quality bowlers to complement these stars.

The Welsh Fire have gone through a series of roster changes since The Hundred was first conceived. Mitchell Starc and Steve Smith were released ahead of the draft, with Jonny Bairstow appointed as captain to replace the former Aussie skipper. However, the Englishman's recall to the Test squad for the series against India means he will only be available for the first two games.

Irrespective of the uncertainty surrounding the Fire's involvement in the latter stages of The Hundred, a cracking clash beckons at Headingley with some of the best cricketers in the world taking to the field.

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Northern Superchargers vs Welsh Fire Prediction: Ben Stokes vs Jonny Bairstow in The Hundred

England's Jonny Bairstow will play the Welsh Fire's first two game

Du Plessis, Kohler-Cadmore, Lynn, Stokes and Lyth are certainly a power-packed quintet for the Northern Superchargers. But can they deliver in their first game of The Hundred?

Du Plessis hasn't played a competitive game of cricket since suffering a sickening head injury in the Pakistan Super League. The former Proteas captain even claimed that he suffered from minor memory loss as a result of his collision near the boundary. Stokes has also suggested he isn't 100% recovered from the finger injury he sustained earlier this year.

In the bowling department, Brydon Carse - who turned out for England's second-string white-ball side against Pakistan - is an exciting prospect. Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and England leg-spinner Adil Rashid add great potency to the attack, which also features names like David Willey and Callum Parkinson.

Meanwhile, the Welsh Fire aren't short of firepower in the batting unit either. Apart from Bairstow, Tom Banton, Glenn Phillips, Ollie Pope and Jimmy Neesham are some of the most prominent names on the roster. Kieron Pollard pulled out of The Hundred to leave the Fire a touch short of options in the middle order, but the youngsters will be salivating at the opportunity to make a splash on the big stage.

The bowling attack is rather thin, though. Pacers Jake Ball and Liam Plunkett will have to bowl out of their skins, while leg-spinner Qais Ahmad will also have a big role to play.

Can the Fire's bowling keep the Superchargers' batting at bay? Even if they do, it's tough to see them being able to counter the army of impressive bowling options at Stokes' disposal. Anything can happen in both teams' first game of The Hundred, but the Superchargers start as the favorites.

Prediction: Northern Superchargers to win Match 4 of The Hundred Men's competition