In a thrilling match at Sophia Gardens, defending champions Southern Brave found themselves on the wrong side of a dominant Welsh Fire team, who cruised to a comfortable victory by seven wickets. The Brave, who are yet to secure a win in this year’s edition of the Hundred, were bowled out for a meager 84 runs, with Hayley Matthews being the standout performer with the ball, taking 3 for 16.
The Fire wasted no time in asserting their dominance, as Freya Davies dismissed Smriti Mandhana with the very first ball of the game. This was the second time in this year’s competition that Davies had achieved such a feat, setting the tone for the Brave’s struggle against the Welsh side.
Southern Brave failed to build any meaningful partnerships, with none of their batters being able to tackle the seam and spin on offer. Tammy Beaumont’s decision to field first after winning the toss proved to be a masterstroke, as the Brave’s innings never really got going. Georgia Adams was the top-scorer for the Brave with 17 runs, but it was Matthews who stole the show with her impressive bowling display.
The West Indian allrounder was well supported by her teammates, with Phoebe Franklin and Beaumont taking crucial catches to dismiss Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt. The Fire’s strong fielding performance played a key role in restricting the Brave to a low total.
In response, the Fire paced their innings well, despite losing Sophia Dunkley for a golden duck. Beaumont and Bryce steadied the ship and guided their team towards the target. When Beaumont was eventually bowled by Lauren Cheatle, it was left to Jess Jonassen to take the Fire over the finish line, securing their fourth win of the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Meerkat Match Hero Matthews reflected on her bowling performance, saying, “I just tried to pitch it in some really good areas – I think there was a bit in the pitch for me as a spinner. So I tried to keep my lines pretty straight and I managed to get some wickets doing that. There was a bit of turn and bounce in the pitch, so I felt the length was really important and I tried to keep the stumps in play for as long as possible.”
Matthews also credited the team’s overall performance, stating, “We’ve been playing really well as a team and having everyone contribute. We obviously had a good start, getting the wicket from the first ball and we just went from there.”
With this victory, Welsh Fire now sit comfortably at the top of the table in the women’s Hundred, setting themselves up as strong contenders to defend their title.
