The Hundred: Welsh Fire earn first win as Hayley Matthews scores brilliant 71 from 50 balls
Welsh Fire achieve first win in The Hundred as Hayley Matthews scores 71 from 50 balls against Manchester Originals; bottom-placed Originals only side in women's competition yet to taste victory; Andrew Flintoff goes all Game of Thrones in build-up; Sarah Taylor loving life in The Hundred
Saturday 31 July 2021 16:15, UK
Welsh Fire are up and running in The Hundred after a Hayley Matthews masterclass - with Manchester Originals now the only side in the women's competition yet to taste victory...
STORY OF THE MATCH
Welsh Fire are winless no longer with Hayley Matthews' sublime 71 from 50 balls and 101-run stand with Georgia Redmayne (38 off 35 balls) powering her side to victory over bottom-placed Manchester Originals in Cardiff.
West Indian Matthews struck 10 fours and a six as Fire topped Originals' 120 from 100 balls with 124 from 88 to get their first win on the board at the third time of asking. Originals, though, have now gone four matches with a victory, having suffered three defeats and a washout.
- Scorecard: Welsh Fire vs Manchester Originals
- Fire vs Originals - as it happened ball-by-ball
- The Hundred - latest standings
The visitors struggled throughout much of their innings on Saturday - Harmanpreet Kaur with a sluggish 26 from 32 balls - but impetus was added later on, firstly by Mignon du Preez (24 off 16 balls) and then top-scorer Sophie Ecclestone (31 off 15).
Ecclestone slammed four fours and one six as the visitors made 40 from their final 25 balls having been on 80 from 75 and when she hit the final two balls of the innings, bowled by Alex Griffiths, to the fence, Originals had real momentum.
But then up stepped Matthew, who put on a batting clinic and sealed a comfortable victory for Fire - who lost just one wicket - with successive fours off Originals skipper Kate Cross.
MAGNIFICENT MATTHEWS
Hero of the Match Matthews showed her intent early on as she nailed three boundaries in a row across balls five, six and seven - one off left-arm spinner Alex Hartley and two off seamer Cross.
There was no stopping the Barbadian, who had commentators Michael Atherton and Andrew Flintoff purring when she lofted Laura Jackson exquisitely over extra-cover for six.
QUICK-THINKING TAYLOR
We have seen Sarah Taylor's skills behind the stumps already in this tournament and we witnessed them again on Saturday morning when she ran out Manchester Originals batter Lizelle Lee.
Lee - who had hit the first two balls of the match for four - top-edged the third over Taylor's head, slipped and then set off for a run.
Taylor sprinted to pick up the ball and then, seeing that Lee was well out of her crease and that the fielder backing up was in a better position to dislodge the bails, opted against the direct hit.
TAYLOR LOVING RETURN TO CRICKET
Taylor spoke to Sky Sports' Lydia Greenway before the game about how much she is enjoying playing in The Hundred, her role as wicketkeeping coach at Sussex and how an England comeback is not on her radar...
CATCH OF THE MATCH
This award goes to Welsh Fire's Australian import Georgia Redmayne, who took a fine catch over her shoulder at point to dismiss Georgie Boyce (13 off 20 balls) off the bowling of Georgia Hennessy.
Du Preez also took a blinder diving at deep point but the catch did not count with bowler Laura Jackson having bowled a full toss above waist height to Redmayne. Redmayne reprieved on 10 and going on to play an important innings as she shared a century partnership with Matthews.
Originals were a quite sloppy in the field throughout, with Jackson's costly no-ball added to a couple of dropped catches.
FLINTOFF GOES GAME OF THRONES!
Flintoff's opening link ahead of the game had a 'Winter is Coming' vibe. Freddie really got into it, though Rob Key didn't look too impressed!
WHAT THEY SAID
Welsh Fire's Hayley Matthews: "We were pretty happy with the bowling performance and we knew going out there to bat that once we were able to build one or two partnerships we would be in a pretty good position.
"That was exemplified when Georgia Redmayne and myself were able to have that big partnership and go on and win the game."
Manchester Originals coach Paul Shaw: "We got back into the game in the latter stages of our innings but we were about 20 short for that wicket and with the boundaries set as they were.
"We managed to stay in the game with the ball but from time to time we released pressure with a bad ball at the wrong time which enabled Fire to push on and in the end get what looked like a comfortable victory."
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Hundred Live
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There are another FOUR games in The Hundred on Sunday as Birmingham Phoenix take on Trent Rockets at Edgbaston and London Spirit host Southern Brave at Lord's...
- Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets (women's match) - 10.30am on Sky Sports Cricket YouTube, Sky Sports The Hundred, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Main Event
- Birmingham Phoenix vs Trent Rockets (men's match) - 2pm on Sky Sports The Hundred
- London Spirit vs Southern Brave (women's match) - 2pm on Sky Sports Cricket YouTube and Sky Sports Mix
- London Spirit vs Southern Brave (men's match) - 5.30pm on Sky Sports The Hundred, Sky Sports Mix and Sky Sports Main Event
Watch The Hundred live on Sky Sports between now and August 21.
