Brave Struggle as Welsh Fire Cruise to Victory in The Hundred
Defending champions Southern Brave remain winless after being dismissed for a meager 84 runs against Welsh Fire in the women’s Hundred competition at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. The Welsh side cruised to the top of the table with a convincing seven-wicket victory.
Opting to field first, Welsh Fire’s Freya Davies struck early, dismissing Smriti Mandhana with the very first delivery of the match. The Southern Brave batters struggled to gain any momentum throughout their innings, failing to adapt to the seam and spin on offer. Hayley Matthews was the star of the show for the Welsh Fire, picking up 3 for 16 to dismantle the Brave batting lineup.
“Hayley Matthews was the star of the show for the Welsh Fire, picking up 3 for 16 to dismantle the Brave batting lineup.”
Georgia Adams top-scored for the Brave with 17 runs, but their total of 84 was never going to be enough to challenge the Welsh side. The Fire’s fielding was equally impressive, with excellent catches from Phoebe Franklin and Tammy Beaumont contributing to the Brave’s downfall.
In their chase, Welsh Fire lost Sophia Dunkley for a golden duck, but Beaumont and Bryce steadily guided the team towards the modest target. Despite Beaumont’s dismissal, Jess Jonassen saw the Fire through to their fourth win of the competition, cementing their position at the top of the table.
Meerkat Match Hero Matthews praised the team’s overall performance, highlighting the importance of maintaining a consistent line and length on a pitch that offered assistance to the spinners.
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