MATCH REPORT
Follow UsWest Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews smashed an unbeaten 50-ball 71 to help Welsh Fire ease past Manchester Originals in match 12 of The Hundred Women at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
India's Harmanpreet Kaur never got going and in the end, managed only 26 off 32 deliveries after her side got off to a slow start. She managed just a couple of boundaries in her innings but struggled to get any sort of momentum into her innings as her strike-rate of 81.25 depicts.
In her other two matches in the competition, the India T20 International (T20I) captain slammed 29 off 16 against the Oval Invincibles and followed that up with an unbeaten 47-ball 49 in her next game against the Birmingham Phoenix.
Putting Manchester Originals in, Welsh Fire managed to restrict Manchester Originals to just 120 for 6 in their 100 balls, thanks to pacer Georgia Hennessy's spell of 2 for 24. Matthews, Bryony Smith and Alex Griffiths were among the wickets as well.
Thanks to an explosive innings from Sophie Ecclestone (31* off 15) in the end, the Originals gave themselves an outside chance. Matthews and Georgia Redmayne put on an unbeaten 101-run stand for the second wicket after Fire lost Smith (3) early. Fire, in the end, won the match comfortably with nine wickets and 12 balls to spare.
Manchester Originals are yet to win a match and as a result, lie at the foot of the table. On the other hand, this was Welsh Fire's first win of the competition and that sees them climb to fifth in the points table.
The Originals have a few days to regroup before they take on Southern Brave on Thursday (August 5). Welsh Fire are in action as early as Monday (August 2) and they will play Oval Invincibles at The Oval.
Brief scores:
Manchester Originals 120 for 6 in 100 balls (Sophie Ecclestone 31*, Harmanpreet Kaul 26; Georgia Hennessy 2 for 24) lost to Welsh Fire 124 for 1 in 88 balls (Hayley Matthews 71*, Georgia Redmayne 38*; Laura Jackson 1 for 27) by 9 wickets.
Player of the match: Hayley Matthews
