END OF OVER:
20 | 8 Runs | WF-W: 122/6 | RR: 6.10

  • Heather Graham35 (28b)
  • Niamh Holland12 (8b)
  • Lauren Bell3.5-0-27-1
  • Sophie Molineux3.5-0-24-0

Well, that's a wrap from today's match, folks. The Men's Hundred kicks off shortly right here at the same ground, so be sure to tune in for that. Until next time, it's adios from myself, Ranjith P, and M. Venkat Raghav.

Georgia Wareham: "[What was going through your mind in the closing stages?] I hate watching games that are close like that; I would have much rather been out there. But yeah, we like to make it close, especially against the Brave. It's really nice to be on the right side of this one. [Confidence level] I thought we bowled brilliantly. We stuck to our strengths and executed what we spoke about pre-game, which was trying to hit the stumps and keeping it simple. We bowled really well against them in the first game as well. I don't want to relive it again [Last five balls]! But Niamh was amazing, she came in and just got the job done, and Grace Thompson as well. Coming in for her first game and playing the way she did was awesome. When they're batting with someone like Heather Graham at the other end who's so experienced and has played so much cricket, that really steadies the ship. But we trust their game, too. They just go out there and play their way, and they did that today. Credit to Heather as well; she played an incredible innings to get us across the line. [Vital points] Yeah. We feel like we've actually played some really good cricket, but we've probably just lost games in the space of 20 balls. So this is massive for momentum, and hopefully, we can keep rolling from here."

Player of the match, Heather Graham: "That was a pretty good game, wasn't it? I think in the last couple of games, we came out on the wrong side of those tight ones. So to come away with the win today is really nice and pleasing for the group. We've had a lot of confidence, so to do that in front of our home crowd will definitely give us a boost going into the next match. [Discussion in the innings break] We actually spoke about it during the strategic timeout - keeping them in and around 120 was going to be a really good target for us to chase. We know how world-class their bowlers are, so to come away with the win when it was so close again is great. We were on the losing side of a tight one in our very first game, so to get the job done today feels really good. [Holland and Thompson] Oh yeah, I absolutely shanked a few full tosses out there, so thank God they were able to clear the boundary and help me out! For Tommy to come in for her very first Hundred game and play the way she did, hitting the ball all around the park. She hits it bloody hard, so that was unbelievable. And then for Niamh to come in at the end, run really well with me, and get a few boundaries away herself; the win is more for those guys than me. [Holding your nerve] I'm 30, old, and ugly now, so I think I've got enough experience under my belt! But no, it's always nerve-wracking in situations like that. I've played for a lot of years now and been in plenty of tight games, so you just rely on those past experiences to help get you over the line."

5:52 pm It was a battle of nerves, and the women in red got the last laugh! The Fire got off to a lively start with the bat, but the opening stand was cut short at 24 when Voll gifted her wicket to the ring fielder trying to slog sweep. Corteen-Coleman then blew the game open, striking twice in the very same over to send both openers back to the pavilion. Southern Brave had their chances to take complete control, but Lee dropped Wareham on four runs behind the stumps in the fifth over. Corteen-Coleman returned to remove the dangerous Kemp, caught at long-off, before Wong joined the party by dismissing Prendergast. Brave's fielding was unusually sloppy; mixed with misfields, dropped catches, and missed stumping opportunities, while the bowlers leaked too many wides. Just as Graham and Wareham were building a steady partnership, Lauren Bell broke through, rattling the stumps with a clever slower ball. Graham held her end brilliantly to keep the scoreboard ticking. Thompson provided a crucial cameo, smashing 16 off 12 to keep Fire right in the hunt before slicing a Wong knuckleball to short third. It went right down to the wire, with Holland landing two boundaries to set up a tense finish. In the end, aided by late misfields and missed run-out opportunities, Welsh Fire sealed a scrappy win, one they'll happily take in front of their home crowd. Graham remained unbeaten on 35, anchoring the chase to guide her team safely over the line. They end Southern Brave's unbeaten run and climb to 4th on the points table.

Welsh Fire Women won by 4 wickets

19.5
1
Bell to Graham, 1 run, Graham knocks the fuller length pace off ball wide of the short cover fielder and sets off for a quick single, completes the run and gives out a sigh of relief! What an innings from Heather Graham! A total gem of a knock - she held her nerves, anchored the chase alongside the new batters and made sure she saw her team over the line. Pure class from Graham, who stayed ice-cool and capitalized on every opportunity. With this thrilling win, Welsh Fire keep their hopes of a top-three finish alive!

Keeper moves up to the stumps. Scores Level.

19.4
2
Bell to Graham, 2 runs, Another pace off ball on the pads, tucked away to midwicket and calls for the second run straightaway. It seems to be impossible from here, a brilliant throw sent to the keeper's end, enough time for Lee to gather the ball cleanly and clip the bails off. Hang on a minute; Lee has fumbled it again behind the stumps, she failed to collect the ball cleanly and Graham's full-stretched dive saves her! Lee is frustrated with herself.
19.3
1
Bell to Holland, 1 run, pace off ball drags it down to deep midwicket for a single
19.2
4
Bell to Holland, FOUR, Slower through the air and offers width outside off, throws the kitchen sink at it and slashes it hard, places it just wide of the backward point ring fielder and races away to the ropes!
19.1
0
Bell to Holland, no run, Starts with a pace off ball outside off on a length, leg-cutter ball, attempts to hack it down but does not connect

8 runs needed off 5 balls. Bell to bowl the last one.

END OF OVER:
19 | 7 Runs | WF-W: 114/6 (8 runs required from 5 balls, RR: 6.00, RRR: 8.00)

  • Heather Graham32 (26b)
  • Niamh Holland7 (5b)
  • Sophie Molineux3.5-0-24-0
  • Issy Wong3.5-0-17-2
18.5
1
Molineux to Graham, 1 run, low full toss ball on the stumps, moves away from the wicket early, plays with the cross bat to deep midwicket
18.4
1
Molineux to Holland, 1 run, low full toss ball works it away to long on
18.3
0
Molineux to Holland, no run, yorker ball quicker on the stumps, pokes it back to the bowler
18.2
4
Molineux to Holland, FOUR, Holland joins the party! Tossed up a fuller length ball, sits down on the track and drags it firmly to the right of deep midwicket, beats Bouchier there
18.1
1
Molineux to Graham, 1 run, floated a fuller length ball down the leg-side, swept away to deep square leg for a single

Molineux to bowl now. 15 runs needed off 10 balls.

Fire 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st24EM McCaughanG Voll
2nd1EM McCaughanFG Kemp
3rd19G WarehamFG Kemp
4th5G WarehamO Prendergast
5th21H GrahamG Wareham
6th35H GrahamGJ Thompson
7th17H GrahamNF Holland