The Welsh Fire and the Manchester Originals women’s teams emerge victorious in matches 10th and 11th of the Women’s Hundred 2024 competition. Check out reports:
Women’s Hundred Tournament 2024: Match 10 Report
In what turned out to be a thriller at Lord’s, the Welsh Fire Women defeated London Spirit Women by six wickets with five balls to spare in the 10th match of The Hundred Women’s Competition. Hayley
Matthews was the star of the show; her unbeaten 78 off 46 balls earned her the Player of the Match title. Her commanding performance with the bat guided the Welsh Fire towards chasing down the target of 151 set by London Spirit, thereby combining for a thrilling victory.
London Spirit Women, put into bat, posted a fighting total of 150 for 5 in their allotted 100 balls. This was an innings built on several contributions. Meg Lanning gave it a good start with her contribution of 31 off 20 balls with five boundaries and a six.
The early loss of Georgia Redmayne saw Cordelia Griffith and Heather Knight knock some quick runs but both failed to capitalize on their good starts. Danielle Gibson’s 41 off 25 balls, laced with six fours and a six, was matched by Deepti Sharma’s unbeaten 39 off 26 balls with two fours and two sixes to push the total to a respectable figure.
The Welsh Fire bowlers were quite disciplined, with Freya Davies returning figures of 2 for 19 in her 20 balls. Beth Langston, Jess Jonassen, and Georgia Davis were the other wicket-takers, each picking one. Most impressively, though, Hayley Matthews failed to get any wickets but kept things tight, allowing just 29 runs in her 15 balls. Thus, this helped to keep London Spirit within a manageable score.
The Welsh Fire didn’t have a great start while chasing 151 as captain Tammy Beaumont fell early for 6, and Sophia Dunkley fell for 17. Hayley Matthews kept the innings together with a sublime knock. She found a steady partner in Sarah Bryce, who chipped in with 21 off 18 balls before falling to Danielle Gibson.
Matthews continued to dominate as she reached her half-century off 37 balls. Jess Jonassen chipped in with a quick 14 but it was Matthews’ unyielding presence at the crease which steered Welsh Fire towards the target.
Nervously game and inching towards a close finish, Matthews kept her nerve and steered the side home with five balls to spare. Her innings were studded with 11 boundaries and two sixes, showing she had been attacking without losing control. Phoebe Franklin, with 6 not out, provided the finishing touches along with Matthews.
Women’s Hundred Tournament 2024 – Match 11 Report
In a nail-biting finish at The Rose Bowl, Southampton, Manchester Originals Women went on to beat Southern Brave Women by six wickets with just two balls to spare in the 11th match of The Hundred Women’s Competition. Laura Wolvaardt’s unbeaten 78 off 52 balls saw her earning the Player of the Match award for amply steering the Originals home to a thrilling win in their chase of 137 runs.
Southern Brave Women were invited to bat first, and they successfully reached 136 for 5 from their 100 balls. Danni Wyatt was the star of the show with the bat, making a fine 61 off 46 balls, which included ten boundaries. She got great support from Maia Bouchier, who chipped in with a brisk 24 off 16 balls.
Charli Knott contributed 27 off 28 balls but the innings lost momentum towards the end as wickets fell regularly. Chloe Tryon’s cameo of 13 off 6 balls was a fleeting one and gave a late fillip. However, the Brave couldn’t get going at the rate they would have liked at the death.
The Originals’ bowlers were effective in execution; Sophie Ecclestone was the best of them with 2 for 17 in her 20 balls. Lauren Filer equated the impression of the former with an economic spell of 19 runs in her 20 balls. Kim Garth and Fi Morris picked up a wicket each and kept the Brave batters in good control, not allowing them to get away with the score.
The chase of 137 didn’t get off to a very convincing start for the Manchester Originals Women, with Beth Mooney being sent off early when she had only scored 2. Laura Wolvaardt led from the front with an exemplary innings that showed both aggression and composure; she found an able partner in Eve Jones, who scored a brisk 39 off 27 balls. It was their 80-run partnership off 57 balls which set up the chase. Despite the fall of Jones and Sophie Ecclestone, the youngster Wolvaardt remained calm and continued to steer the innings.
The tension mounted with the Originals needing 37 runs from the final 25 balls. Wolvaardt’s calibrated aggression ensured that the required run rate was kept within the leash. She hit the boundary with regularity – striking eleven fours in her innings. At the other end, Kathryn Bryce provided the necessary support with an undefeated 11 off 9 balls, as the pair saw the Originals home. It was Bryce who hit the winning runs to wrap up a hard-fought victory for her side.
The bowlers of the Southern Brave did come out and give their best to defend the total. Georgia Adams picked up 2 for 24 in her 15 balls, while Lauren Cheatle and Lauren Bell were frugal. Not getting the wickets at crunch junctures, however, hurt them as the Brave ultimately lost the contest. The fielding effort by the Brave was good—the run-out of play affected by Cheatle, in particular—but it fell a bit short in the end.
As Welsh Fire and Manchester Originals emerge victorious, we can keep an eye on their performances in the forthcoming games.
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