It was raining fours at Edgbaston, Birmingham during the Birmingham Phoenix Women vs Welsh Fire Women game in The Hundred. A total of 31 fours were hit in both innings combined as Phoenix made completed a record win, chasing down 128 with all wickets intact and 24 balls remaining in the Hundred ball format. Shafali Verma and Eve Jones, the two openers of the Phoenix played tremendous knocks to get the team over the line.
Chasing 128 in a 100 ball game is not an easy task and as a matter of fact, in The Hundred’s Women’s competition, this is the biggest victory in terms of wickets and ball remaining. The two Phoenix Women openers didn’t give any chance whatsoever to the Fire Women bowlers as they exploited each and every corner of the Edgbaston ground.
While overseas star India’s Shafali Verma remained unbeaten on 76 off 42 balls with the help of nine fours and two sixes, striking at more than 180, 29-year-old Jones was equally impressive in her innings of 52 not out of 35 balls. The Fire bowlers kept searching for wickets but were unable to find any. Verma was adjudged Player of the Match for her performances with the bat.
Earlier in the day, after winning the toss, Phoenix had decided to field first. Fire, with the help of Bryony Smith’s 38 and Alice Macleod’s unbeaten 19 off 13 balls managed to reach 127 for the loss of nine wickets. Kristie Gordon took two wickets for Phoenix.
With this win, their second of the season, Phoenix have kept themselves alive for the Playoffs with one game to go. Although a lot of permutations and combinations would have to go their way along with the victory in the last match.