’Southern Brave’ v ‘Welsh Fire’, Southampton (Ageas Bowl) on 11 August
Collecting her second ‘Hero-of-the-match’ award, Smriti Mandhana (78 runs from 52 balls) made the second highest score of the tournament and took 2 catches. Between innings, she’d told Charles Dagnall that she’d ‘had some luck’ (to get her ‘fifty’); and hoped she’d ‘done good for her team.’ With Smriti’s top score, ‘Brave’ set a new tournament’s highest total (166) Winning 6 out of 7 group games, ‘Brave’ will play the winner of the eliminator between 2nd and 3rd placed teams
‘The Hundred’s’ 25th match was broadcast live (commentators included Ebony Rainford Brent, Charles Dagnall, Darren Gough and guest Daren Sammy) from SKY Sports TV; also cricket social media (Valkerie Bayle and Matt Roller for EPSN-cric-info.)
*‘Fire’ allowed India’s Smriti Mandhana to accumulate another big score. Firstly, Alex Griffiths dropped a catch from Bryony Smith’s 5th ball. Replays convinced the commentators that it was ‘a bad drop’ and ‘should have been out’
* Midway through the ‘power-play’ with the score on 21/0, Bryony Smith well caught Smriti Mandhana off Australian Piepa Cleary. Replays proved to umpires that Cleary had over-stepped the ‘no ball’ line. Smriti meanwhile capitalised from the resulting ‘free hit’ by striking two consecutive ‘fours’
*Summarising ‘Brave’s’ 5 ‘power-play’ overs, commentators concluded that ‘Fire’s’ body language ‘didn’t look great’ as their fielding and catching had let them down as ‘Brave’ found they had luck on their side *Following the ‘power-play ‘Brave’ were 41/0 (compared to ‘Fire’ 29/0) Smriti Mandhana mis-hit a vertical ‘skyer’ from Georgia Hennessy- another chance missed as ‘Brave’s ‘team 50’ came up in 33 balls; and their ‘team 100′ in just 62 balls
*Both openers clocked their second tournament 50’s (Danni Wyatt from 29 balls & Smriti Mandhana from 38 balls); at which point ‘Fire’ finally took a wicket: Piepa Cleary catching Wyatt (53 from 34) off Nicole Harvey
*No further ‘Brave’ wickets fell until Hayley Matthews ‘death’ over. Firstly Smriti Mandhana was caught by Georgia Hennessy. Secondly Stafani Taylor fell for a first-ball duck from her WIndies team-mate. Sophia Dunkley finished with 23* off 13 and ‘Brave’ set a record tournament score of 166 (surpassing ‘Rockets’ 151)
Commentators were adamant that ‘Fire’ needed to adapt their game to find the gaps between fielders, to avoid getting bogged-down.*’Braves’ opening bowlers Anya Shrubsole and Lauren Bell each conceded just four runs from their 1st overs, limiting ‘Fire’s’ power-play to a disappointing 29 runs. *Both ‘Fire’ openers (Bryony Smith & Hayley Matthews) departed before the mid-way point, Smith (33 from 27) snapped-up by Smriti Mandhana at mid-off, immediately after hitting Danni Wyatt for ‘six’
Commentators then beefed-up ex-England’s Sarah Taylor as ‘someone who can take the game away from you;’ although Taylor’s tournament scores (when read out) told quite a different story.
*Commentator’s expectations were shattered as Taylor (4 from 5) unwisely strode down the track to confront her name-sake (WIndies captain Stafani Taylor) Sarah Taylor completely missed the ball and turned round half-way down the pitch to find herself stumped by fellow-keeper Carla Rudd
*After 75 balls, ‘Fire’ were reportedly ‘massively behind’ by 30 runs and ‘struggling’ at 90/3
*Skipper Sophie Luff (30 from 21) played her best innings of the tournament, launching both Stafanie Taylor and Amanda-Jade Wellington’s spin for ‘sixes.’ EPSN commentators detected an optimistic ‘pulse’
*Australian Georgia Redmayne (35 from 27) and ‘Fire’ skipper Sophie Luff posted a 50-run partnership during the penultimate over, by which time it was ‘too little too late.’
*’Fire’s’ skipper Sophie Luff was dismissed from the penultimate ball of the match: caught in the ‘covers’ – second catch by Smriti Mandhana – this time off Tara Norris. Heeding ‘Brave’ skipper’s Anya Shrubsole’s theatrical guidance (rather than bowl herself) Norris’s death over went for just 5 runs (also bagging Luff’s wicket)
Summary: ‘Massively behind’ with the run chase, ‘Fire’ were said to ‘have not quite fired’ as they closed 39 runs adrift. ‘Brave’ fielders were quite content to police the boundary and watch ‘Fire’s’ batters snatch pointless ‘singles.’ ‘Brave’s’ win sends them straight through to the final, on 12-points. Whilst ‘Brave’ can look forward to playing in the final, ‘Fire’ have no chance of qualification, at best, avoiding the wooden spoon
‘Southern Brave -Women’ 166-3 beat ‘Welsh Fire -W’ 127-4 by 39 runs
‘Southern Brave W’ (SB-W) 166-3 (20 ov 1.66 runs-per-ball) Smriti Mandhana 78 runs from 52 balls, Danni Wyatt 53 (34) Sophia Dunkley 23* (13); ‘Fire’ bowling: Hayley Matthews 2/27, Nicole Harvey 1/26; Fow 1-107, 2-161, 3-161; ‘Welsh Fire W’ (WF-W) 127-4 (20ov 1.27rpb) Georgia Redmayne 35(27), Bryony Smith 33(27), Sophie Luff 30(21) Hayley Matthews 18(19); ‘Brave’ bowling: Danni Wyatt 1/10, Tara Norris 1/11, Stafanie Taylor 1/15, cc, Amanda-Jade Wellington 1/33; Fow 1-45, 2-58, 3-70, 4-126
Scorecard at:
https://www.espncricinfo.com/series/the-hundred-women-s-competition-2021-1252659/southern-brave-women-vs-welsh-fire-women-25th-match-1252724/live-cricket-score
