Thatās all from Cardiff. Itās been a similar script in the Womenās Hundred today, with both fixtures turning out to be one-sided affairs. Earlier, the Southern Brave Women cruised past the Northern Superchargers Women, and now the Manchester Originals Women have done the same against the Welsh Fire Women. Switch tabs now to catch the Menās Hundred clash between Southern Brave and Northern Superchargers, which is heading for a nail-biting finish.
For now, this is Pritam Dey signing off on behalf of my co-commentator Akshay Bhide who, along with scorer/analyst Zeeshan Naiyer brought all the actions of this clash. Stay tuned for more cricketing action from around the world. BYE BYEš
Mahika Gaur (Hero of the Match): "Yeah, it feels really good. Great effort with the ball. The conditions were really good.
There wasn't much conversation. The first five balls went good and she asked me to continue and bowl 10 more balls.
Some just held their line a bit. The batters were expecting them to swing back in.
Last game was so close but it shows that when we do the basics right, we can beat any team."
Hero of the Match: Mahika Gaur
9:55 PM IST & 5:25 PM Local Time: Thatās it! A dominant display in Cardiff as the Manchester Originals Women outclass the Welsh Fire Women by 7 wickets with 19 balls remaining. The Originals notch up their second win of the season, while the Fire are still hunting for their maiden victory.
Earlier in the day, Welsh Fire Women were asked to bat first and had a nightmare start as Mahika Gaur struck twice in quick succession, removing Sophia Dunkley (2) and captain Tammy Beaumont (0) within three balls in her second set. The fiery left-arm quick bowled a sensational opening spell, leaving the hosts reeling at 12/2 by the end of the powerplay. Hayley Matthews and Georgia Elwiss tried to steady the ship, but the Manchester Originalsā bowlers kept the pressure on. Elwiss managed 11 off 18 before being stumped in the tenth set, while Matthews crawled to 22 off 33 before Sophie Ecclestone knocked her over.
The collapse continued as Lauren Filer ripped through the middle and lower order in the 18th set, removing Sarah Bryce (4), Emily Windsor (0) and the well-set Jess Jonassen (20) in quick succession. Welsh Fire could only limp to 73/9, with just three batters reaching double figures and only four fours struck in the entire innings.Lauren Filer finished with exceptional figures of 3/8 from her 20 balls, while Mahika Gaur (2/10), Sophie Ecclestone (2/11) and Kathryn Bryce (2/7) bagged two wickets each.
In reply, the Manchester Originals Women had a shaky start as Hayley Matthews struck early, trapping Beth Mooney in front for 3. Freya Davies then removed Amelia Kerr for 6, with both wickets coming via successful reviews after the on-field calls were overturned. Kathryn Bryce steadied the innings, pacing her knock beautifully with calculated risks and timely boundaries. Alongside Seren Anna Smale, she added a vital 57-run stand for the third wicket. Kathryn Bryce fell for 45 while looking to wrap things up quickly, but Smale stayed unbeaten on 20 to guide the Originals to a comfortable 7-wicket win with 20 balls to spare.
17th Five
Manchester Originals Women
76/3
Seren Anna Smale
20(27)
Deandra Dottin
1(3)
Shabnim Ismail
0-16(16 b)
81b S Ismail to Smale
4 FOUR!!! Smale hits the winning runs. Shabnim from over the wicket bowls it short on the body, Smale sits back, gets into the position quickly and pulls it hard over forward square leg for a boundary. No need to run for those. Manchester Originals Women beat Welsh Fire Women convincingly by seven wickets.