‘Birmingham Phoenix Women’ v ‘Welsh Fire’ at Edgbaston on 9th August
Receiving ‘Hero-of-the-match’ cap and medal, Shafali Verma took just 22 balls to score her half-century, finishing unbeaten on 76* Commentators added said that Verma arrived from India in June (to play England.) Verma’s innings was ‘outstanding’ with ‘wonderful stroke-play’ including hitting WIndies star Hayley Matthews for ‘six.’ Securing the tournament’s first ten-wicket rout for ‘Phoenix’, Verma said that she’d felt pressure ‘of not doing good for the team’.
‘The Hundred’s’ 23rd match was broadcast live (commentators included Lydia Greenway) from SKY Sports TV, via You-Tube and social media (with Peter Della Penna from EPSN-cric-info). Before the match, ‘Fire’s’ skipper (Sophie Luff) announced she was playing Alice Macleod (for Alex Griffiths)
‘Phoenix’ skipper (Amy Jones) was playing Emily Arlott (for Issy Wong) Following ‘Phoenix’s’ decisive win, both teams have won two matches each – but neither side can expect to make the finals.
Earlier, the match started on time, with minimal interruption for rain between innings.
* Hayley Matthews 13 runs (from 11 balls) was defeated by spin, caught by Emily Arlott from Abtaha Maqsood’s second ball beyond the ‘power-play’ (at which point 36/0)
*‘Fire’s’ opener Bryony Smith made a personal best of 38 runs, including 5 ‘fours’ and 1 ‘six’ (from 36 balls.) Having dropped Smith, Erin Burns caught-and-bowled Redmayne
*Bryony Smith was ‘run out’ in a mix-up with Georgia Redmayne declining not to run a single from Phoebe Franklin’s mis-field. Smith was never going to get back in time
*Three wickets (Georgia Hennessy, Katie George and Nicole Harvey) fell from Kirsty Gordon’s final over – ‘disappointing for ‘Fire:’ whose last 7 wickets fell for just 33 runs
*For ‘Phoenix,’ Shafali Verma scored 12 runs from Bryony Smith’s first over, including a ‘six’ followed by a ‘four.’ Hayley Matthews received similar treatment, Matthews’ second-over hit for two ‘fours,’ followed by a ‘six’
*After their ‘power-play’ ‘Phoenix’ were 47 runs without loss, comfortably ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern, just in case the match headed toward a premature close
*Spinner Nicole Harvey had an unlucky first over: as Shafali Verma was dropped three times in a row by different fielders, including a diving catch from Katie George
*Shafali Verma’s ‘fifty’ was scored in just 22 balls, progressing to 61 when at 86/0 rain-stopped-play just before the half-way point (on 45.1 overs); unbeaten on 76*(42)
*Fellow opener Eve Jones made ‘fifty’ ten balls after play resumed (50 from 32 balls) finishing unbeaten on 52* (from 35 balls)
*Shafali Verma and Eve Jones scored the largest partnership of the tournament (131) and secured the tournament’s first ten-wicket win (with 24 balls to spare)
*After the match Shafali Verma added that she’d played a few ‘dot’ balls rather than score, to give Eve Jones a chance to score her half-century
Result: ‘Birmingham Phoenix -W’ 131/0 (76/100 balls) beat ‘Welsh Fire -W’ 127-9 by 10 wickets (with 24 balls remaining)
‘Birmingham Phoenix -Women’ (BP-W) 131-0 (1.72 runs-per-ball) Shafali Verma 76*(42), Eve Jones 52*(35); ‘Welsh Fire -Women’ (WF-W) 127-9 (1.27 rpb);) Bryony Smith 38(36), Alice Macleod 19(13), Georgia Redmayne 17(14), Sarah Taylor 16(11); ‘Phoenix’ bowling: Kirstie Gordon 2/30, Eve Jones 1/7, Emily Arlott 1/13, Erin Burns 1/19, Abtaha Maqsood 1/32; Fow 1-36, 2-75, 3-87, 4-97, 5-106, 6-115, 7-119, 8-119, 9-120
Scorecard at https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-hundred-women-s-competition-2021-1252659/birmingham-phoenix-women-vs-welsh-fire-women-23rd-match-1252722/full-scorecard
