Report: Fire v Phoenix, The Hundred Women

An inspired bowling performance by Birmingham Phoenix flipped the formbook against Welsh Fire to keep the Phoenix squarely in the mix as The Hundred reaches the business end.

Marshalling her attack superbly to defend a modest 121, Phoenix skipper Ellyse Perry was once again the catalyst, claiming wickets in successive balls to remove Sophie Dunkley and Sarah Bryce after Charis Pavely had early induced a thin edge from Tammy Beaumont.

Those wickets checked the Fire’s progress but from 42 for 3 the overseas stars Hayley Matthews and Jess Jonassen got together to repair the innings. They put on 46 together, with Jonassen playing beautifully down the ground, check-driving what would turn out to be the only six of the Fire’s innings.

But with 34 needed from 27 balls, leg-spinner Hannah Baker scuttled a straight one past Jonassen’s attempted reverse sweep, and the squeeze was on.

Fellow leggie Katie Levick, daring to give it some air, then encouraged the dangerous Georgia Elwiss to pick out deep mid-off, before returning for the penultimate set of five to claim the key scalp of Matthews for 35 (38), caught at extra cover looking to clear the infield.

With 14 needed, a nerveless final set from Emily Arlott iced the match.

Earlier in the piece, the Phoenix’s innings was held together by the Netherlands right-hander Sterre Kalis, who started circumspectly in cahoots with Sophie Devine before unfurling eight fours en route to her first half-century of the tournament.

Although Matthews’s off-breaks – 3 for 32 from her full quota – kept the Phoenix middle-order in check, their total on a turning pitch was just good enough, ensuring that the Phoenix are alive and kicking going into the tournament’s final week.

Kalis, named the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “Obviously we struggled a bit at the start on a used pitch and I probably let the bowlers bowl a bit too much to me, rather than getting out there with more intent, but I stuck around and finally got some away and felt alright!

“I’m really happy with the opportunity to go in up top, it was something I really wanted this year and to get an opportunity is something I really appreciate.

“Credit to Pez [Perry] early on and then the spinners. It wasn’t the highest total to defend, so the bowlers did an amazing job to restrict them. Two more games to go. A good win for us today and hopefully we can stay in the competition.”