In a thrilling match at Lord’s, Welsh Fire managed to achieve their highest-ever chase in the women’s Hundred, defeating London Spirit by six wickets. The star of the show was West Indies allrounder Hayley Matthews, who smashed an unbeaten 78 from just 46 balls to lead her team to victory. Matthews’ innings, which included 11 fours and two sixes, was crucial in chasing down Spirit’s total of 150 for 5 with five balls to spare.
Former Spirit bowler Freya Davies played a pivotal role in the match, taking 2 for 19 and dismissing key players Meg Lanning and Heather Knight. Despite the late hitting from Danni Gibson and Deepti Sharma, it was Matthews who stole the show with her match-defining performance.
The chase got off to a shaky start for Welsh Fire as skipper Tammy Beaumont was dismissed early by Tara Norris. Gibson further dented Fire’s hopes by picking up the wickets of Sophia Dunkley and Sarah Bryce. However, Matthews remained unfazed and continued to find the boundaries regularly to keep her team in the game.
Spirit had showcased their strong batting lineup in the match, with Lanning contributing a quickfire 31 from 20 balls before being bowled by Davies. Gibson and Sharma then combined forces to add 67 runs in just 41 balls, with Gibson leading the way with a fantastic knock of 41 from 25 balls.
Despite the solid performances by the Spirit batters, it was Matthews who stole the show with her incredible innings, reaching her fifty from just 37 balls. She finished the game in style by hitting the winning boundary and securing a second win of the competition for her team.
Overall, it was a remarkable chase by Welsh Fire, who showed great determination and skill to achieve victory against a strong London Spirit side. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions for the players and fans alike, with Matthews emerging as the hero of the day.
