Report: Birmingham Phoenix Women v Welsh Fire

Shabnim Ismail bowled Welsh Fire to a sensational victory with a hat-trick with the last three balls of the innings to secure their three-run Women's Hundred victory over Birmingham Phoenix at Edgbaston.

matc

2023-08-10T17:47:25.000Z

The resurgence of Fire continues after Ismail’s ice-cool display prevented the home side scoring any of the four runs they needed to win from the last three balls. The South Africa international finished with three for 31 as Phoenix, chasing 137 for seven, ended on 134 for four to suffer a heartbreaking defeat.

Tammy Beaumont’s stylish 59 (40 balls) lifted Fire to 137 but Phoenix looked in command of the chase while Tess Flintoff (44, 45 balls) and Amy Jones (48 not out, 34) were adding 93 in 67 balls. But Ismail’s brilliant hat-trick leaves the Birmingham side with a lot of work to do to climb into the qualification race after a staccato first half of the campaign has brought two defeats and two washouts.

Phoenix chose to bowl but took 48 balls to break through as openers Beaumont and Hayley Matthews added 72 before the latter (23, 23 balls) cut Hannah Baker to point.

Beaumont batted imperiously, dancing down the track to lift a gorgeous straight six off Levick on the way to a 36-ball half-century. As well as the six, the captain struck nine fours but perished in pursuit of a tenth which she lifted Flintoff to deep mid-wicket where Burns took a fine catch, stooping low to her right.

As Phoenix began to reel in the scoring rate, Laura Harris fell lbw, reverse-sweeping Emily Arlott. Sophie Dunkley (25, 19 balls) stoked the Fire again with six over mid-wicket off Arlott but Phoenix built pressure and caught well in the closing sets.

Needing to pull off the sixth-biggest chase in Women’s Hundred history, Phoenix were positively launched by Sophie Devine (29, 19 balls). Her charge was ended by Alex Griffiths’ first ball, a perfect, inswinging yorker, but Amy Jones was fluent from the moment she reached the crease.

Flintoff and Jones took their side into the last 20 balls with 27 needed but boundaries were few and Griffiths bowled beautifully to start tilting the pressure back on the home side. It came down to nine needed from the last five balls, delivered by Ismail.

A glorious cover-driven four for Flintoff brought it down to four from three, but Ismail bowled the opener next ball, had Burns caught at short third man and then bowled Issy Wong to seal the most memorable of wins.