Hayley Matthews inspires Welsh Fire to Hundred victory over London Spirit

Welsh Fire completed their highest-ever chase in The Hundred Women to inflict a first defeat of this year’s competition on London Spirit at Lord’s thanks to a six-wicket win.

West Indies star Hayley Matthews did the damage with an unbeaten 78 from 46 balls – her highest score in the competition – as the visitors chased down Spirit’s 150 for five with five balls to spare.

Former Spirit right-armer Freya Davies claimed two for 19, including the key wickets of Meg Lanning and Heather Knight, as the home side’s total was built on the back of powerful late hitting from Danni Gibson and Deepti Sharma.

Matthews was the difference though as she struck 11 fours and two maximums in a match-defining innings after she had been dropped on the rope when on 36.

Review

Fire lost skipper Tammy Beaumont early when Tara Norris trapped her lbw on review with her first ball. Gibson’s day then got even better when Sophia Dunkley tickled an edge behind before Norris held a sharp catch at backward point off her bowling to remove Sarah Bryce (21).

With 69 needed from 40 balls, the key to the game rested with Matthews, who was finding the boundaries regularly despite wickets at the other end.

Eva Gray spilled a tough chance over the rope when Matthews was on 36, prompting some nervous murmurs from the home crowd, before Jess Jonassen slapped Sophie Munro into the stands.

Matthews reached her half-century from 37 balls, hitting back-to-back boundaries off England leg-spinner Sarah Glenn, who arrested some of the Fire’s growing momentum when Jonassen miscued to Cordelia Griffith in the deep.

But by that stage it was the ‘Matthews Show’ as she crashed Sharma for a straight six – leaving 10 needed off nine – and fittingly won the game with another boundary to secure a second win of the competition for the Welsh side.

It was a remarkable chase after the Spirit had showcased their batting depth as they chased a third-straight win to start the competition.

Their improvement has been most significant in an all-star batting line-up with their three totals so far all sitting inside their five highest scores since The Hundred began.

The hosts selected former Aussie captain Lanning with pick three in March’s draft and it already looked an astute piece of business as she clubbed 31 from 20 balls before being bowled by Davies.

Davies had removed Knight two balls earlier, caught at cover, but Gibson and Sharma then added 67 in 41 balls.

Gibson led the way – striking six boundaries and a six in her 25-ball 41 – to allow India star Sharma, in her first game since arriving from the Asia Cup, to get settled before unleashing her power late. Sharma finished unbeaten on 39 from 26 balls.