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Birmingham Phoenix 162 for 5
Welsh Fire 142 for 5 by 19 runs
It was second-highest in the women’s Hundred as Birmingam beat Welsh Fire by 19 runs.
Despite a slow start Birmingham scored at a run a ball in the first 20 and lost the wickets of Eve and Amy Jones, the opponent Phoenix picked up the pace to take 22 runs off the next set of five balls from Sutherland.
Knocks of 48 from skipper Sophie Devine in the end, 58 from Ellyse Perry and a run-a-ball 29 from Sophie Molinuex that helped the squad reach 161 for 5 to the set home side.
With a 47-run opening partnership Welsh Fire skipper Tammy Beaumont and Hayley Matthews led the charge.
Matthews punched 20 off 15 balls, while Beaumont notched 39 off 34 before she was stumped by Amy Jones.
Going down by 19 runs, Welsh Fire went on to bag their highest score in the competition with 142 for five.
Phoenix recruited well during the off-season and thus made a fist of being put in by Fire.
Import Perry enjoyed a brilliant debut and her remarkable innings of 58 off 31 balls included 10 fours to earn her the Hero of the Match award.
Having seen two wickets fall poorly at the top of the innings, Perry plowed in with Devine to put 46 for their third wicket. Devine struck seven fours and two sixes in her 48.
Those two maximum strikes off Mathews, as 18 runs came in the first set of five. Which took Phoenix to 60 off 30. Devine departed soon after to Katie George’s first ball, Perry and Molineux given a final touch, which took them to their first-ever-total five runs short of 166 notched by Northern Superchargers against Fire.
Meanwhile, Lauren Filer’s 20 balls cost just 20 runs that was the pick of the Fire bowlers.
The game from Fire was full of energy and original, with a ramp shot from Beaumont for six being the best part.
The skipper drove her team to 32 runs in the powerplay and looked set with Matthews until caught off the second ball from Abtaha Maqsood.
Rachel Hynes, hit a nice shot in her quickfire 14 and Sutherland scored 34 before she left.
Performers
Top Batsmen
BPH
Ellyse Perry – 58 (31)
Sophie Devine – 48 (25)
WEF-W
Tammy Beaumont – 39 (34)
Annabel Sutherland – 34 (21)
