Ellyse Perry‘s unbeaten 68 guided Birmingham Phoenix to a seven-wicket win over Welsh Fire at Edgbaston, handing the hosts their first victory of the Women’s Hundred season.
Perry finished on 68 not out from 46 balls, sealing the chase with a six and a four off Heather Graham in the final over, as Phoenix reached 145 for 3 with one ball to spare.
Perry and Capsey Anchor Record Chase
Phoenix were chasing 145 after Welsh Fire posted 144 for 3, and their pursuit began poorly when Davina Perrin fell for 2 in the fourth ball of the innings, caught at point off Grace Potts. Tammy Beaumont and Alice Capsey steadied the innings and took the score to 33 for 1 inside the powerplay, before Beaumont holed out to deep midwicket against Georgia Wareham’s legspin.
Capsey then combined with skipper Perry to shift momentum firmly toward the home side. The pair added 86 runs for the third wicket, with Capsey striking 51 off 29 balls before falling with 24 runs still needed. Her dismissal briefly raised tension in the chase. Still, Annerie Dercksen joined Perry and absorbed the pressure that followed. Perry took over from there, finishing the match with two boundaries off the last six balls to complete Phoenix’s first win in 14 attempts to chase in the competition this year.
Speaking after the match, Perry, named Player of the Match, said the win came in front of a strong home crowd and credited the bowling attack for restricting Welsh Fire. She also praised Capsey’s innings as the turning point that gave Phoenix a genuine chance in the closing overs.
Georgia Voll’s 78 Sets Up Fire Total
Total for Welsh Fire included a score of 78 in 55 balls, including nine boundaries and two sixes, by Georgia Voll. Voll and Ella McCaughan started slowly with a run-a-ball score of 25 without any loss in the powerplay period before speeding up against the spinners of Alana King and Linsey Smith. Her score of 50 came with the help of a six from Eva Gray and remained unstoppable until she got caught out at long-on by Capsey off Smith in the 91st delivery.
Sophie Devine took charge after Voll’s dismissal, striking two sixes in the final six balls to finish unbeaten on 35 from 18 balls. Her late burst pushed Welsh Fire to 144 for 3, a total that appeared competitive before Perry’s finish turned the match toward Phoenix.
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Bowling Efforts Shape Both Innings
Alice Capsey picked up two wickets with the ball for Phoenix, whereas Linsey Smith managed to take one wicket for Welsh Fire in their earlier innings. Georgia Voll made another contribution with the ball, with Perrin being dismissed cheaply along with Wareham and Potts.
The outcome puts Birmingham Phoenix into the top half of the points table, with Welsh Fire needing to bounce back in the rest of their group games. The four points earned by Phoenix from their victory left Welsh Fire with no points from the game. Edgbaston witnessed a crowd of 17,090 at the match, which has been one of several packed-out stadiums during the season.
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