Image: Manchester Originals thrashed Welsh Fire in Cardiff / © ESPNCricinfo
For the 12th match in The Hundred Women’s Competition, played on August 13, 2025, at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Welsh Fire faced off against Manchester Originals in what turned out to be a one-sided affair dominated by the bowlers from the Originals.
Now, diving into the Welsh Fire innings, which lasted the full 100 balls but never really ignited. They started cautiously but lost wickets at crucial moments, ending up with just 73 runs for the loss of 9 wickets. Sophia Dunkley opened with Hayley Matthews, but her stay was brief. Facing Mahika Gaur’s left-arm seam in the first set of 5 balls, Dunkley managed just 2 runs off 6 balls before edging a catch to Danielle Gregory at slip. It was a soft dismissal, coming off a ball that swung away slightly, and Fire were 2 for 1 after 6 balls. Tammy Beaumont, the captain, came in at number 3 but lasted only 2 balls without scoring.
Gaur struck again, getting one to nip back and trap Beaumont plumb in front, though it was actually a catch behind and Fire were reeling at 2 for 2 after 8 balls. Georgia Elwiss joined Matthews, and together they tried to rebuild. Elwiss looked composed, scoring 11 off 18 balls with one boundary, a crisp drive through cover off Sophie Ecclestone’s spin. Matthews, the West Indian all-rounder, played the anchor role, hitting two fours, one pulled off Amelia Kerr’s leg-spin and another driven off Danielle Gregory. Their partnership added 33 runs, the highest of the innings, taking the score to 35 for 3 by the 46th ball when Elwiss was stumped off Ecclestone for 11.
Jess Jonassen, the Australian left-hander, came in next and injected some momentum. She scored 20 off 19 balls, including a boundary swept off Kerr, and looked dangerous until she holed out to Seren Smale at deep midwicket off Lauren Filer’s pace in the 90th ball. By then, the Fire were 66 for 7. Sarah Bryce, the keeper-batter, managed 4 off 10 before being bowled by Filer, who was on fire with her speed and accuracy. Filer’s spell of 3 for 8 in 20 balls was devastating; she dotted 14 balls and conceded no boundaries.
She clean-bowled Bryce with a yorker on the 86th ball and followed it up by castling Emily Windsor for a first-ball duck on the next delivery, Windsor playing all around a straight one. That double strike left Fire at 65 for 6 after 87 balls. Katie George tried to up the ante but scored just 4 off 6, including no boundaries, before being bowled by Kathryn Bryce on the 98th ball. Bryce, the Scottish all-rounder, bowled tidily with 2 for 7 in 10 balls, also getting Freya Davies caught by Ecclestone for 2 off 4 on the last ball. Shabnim Ismail, the veteran pacer, was not out for 1 off 1, but extras contributed 7 (1 leg bye and 6 wides), which was more than some batters scored.
The powerplay (first 25 balls) yielded only 17 runs for 2 wickets, setting a defensive tone. No sixes were hit in the entire innings, and only 4 fours, highlighting the dominance of the bowlers. Kerr was the most expensive with 0 for 24 in 20 balls, but even she got 5 dot balls. Gaur’s early breakthroughs, Ecclestone’s control in the middle, Filer’s fiery spell, and Bryce’s finishing touches combined to choke Fire. Overall, it was a batting collapse driven by poor shot selection and excellent bowling pressure. Fire’s strategy seemed to focus on survival rather than aggression, but against such quality, they couldn’t even reach 80.
Shifting to the Manchester Originals’ chase, they needed 74 runs from 100 balls and got there in just 81 balls for the loss of 3 wickets, at a run rate of 0.93 per ball. It was a professional effort, led by Kathryn Bryce’s unbeaten 45 off 41 balls, which included 5 fours and anchored the innings beautifully. Beth Mooney, the captain and keeper, opened with Bryce but fell early for 3 off 6. Hayley Matthews got her lbw on the 7th ball with a spinning delivery that trapped her on the pads, a review confirmed it was out.
Amelia Kerr, the Kiwi star, came in at 3 and smashed a four off Freya Davies but was caught behind off the same bowler for 6 off 4 on the 16th ball. Davies’ review upheld the edge, and Originals were 13 for 2. Seren Smale joined Bryce, and this pair steadied the ship with a crucial 57-run stand for the third wicket. Bryce was the aggressor, hitting boundaries off Ismail (a drive), Matthews (two cuts), Davies, Jonassen, and Levick.
Her 45 came with no sixes but solid placement, and she reached the 30s during the strategic timeout at 55 for 2 after 66 balls. Smale played the supporting role, scoring 20 not out off 27 with 2 fours, one punched off Levick and another off Jonassen. Their partnership took Originals past 50 in 63 balls, and they looked in control throughout. Bryce was eventually stumped off Jonassen for 45 on the 76th ball, trying to advance, but by then, the target was almost home at 70 for 3. Deandra Dottin came in and hit 1 off 3, while Alice Monaghan, Ecclestone, Fi Morris, Filer, Gregory, and Gaur didn’t bat.
The bowling from Fire was decent but lacked penetration. Ismail was economical with 0 for 16 in 16 balls (9 dots), Matthews took 1 for 20 in 15, Davies 1 for 8 in 15 (10 dots), Jonassen 1 for 10 in 15 (9 dots), and Levick 0 for 21 in 20 (8 dots). They used DRS twice successfully in the powerplay, but couldn’t create enough chances. Originals hit 8 fours total, no sixes, and extras were just 1 leg bye.
The powerplay saw 17 runs for 2 wickets, mirroring Fire’s start, but the chase accelerated post that. This innings showcased composure under a low target, with Bryce’s knock being the difference. Originals’ win was built on their bowling earlier, but the batters ensured no hiccups, wrapping up with plenty to spare and boosting their net run rate to 0.114.
Marking the standout performance in the match, Lauren Filer delivered a remarkable bowling effort that earned her the TCNI Magic Moment of the Game. In her 20 balls, Filer was exceptional, claiming three crucial wickets for just eight runs, maintaining an impressive runs-per-ball rate of 0.40. Her precision was evident with 14 dot balls, stifling the Welsh Fire batting lineup and restricting their scoring opportunities.
Filer’s disciplined bowling dismantled key moments in the innings, with her dismissals of Sarah Bryce (4 runs), Emily Windsor (0 runs), and Jess Jonassen (20 runs) proving pivotal. These wickets, taken between the 86th and 90th balls, triggered a late collapse, as Welsh Fire slumped to 73/9 in their 100 balls.
As the Manchester Originals (Women) took on their opponents, Kathryn Bryce emerged as the TCNI Hero of the Day with a standout batting performance. Chasing a target of 74 runs from 100 balls, the Originals reached 76/3 in 81 balls, with Bryce playing a pivotal role. She scored a solid 45 runs off 41 balls, hitting five fours and maintaining an impressive strike rate of 109.75. Her steady innings anchored the team, guiding them close to the target before she was stumped by Jess Jonassen.
Bryce’s contribution was crucial, especially after early setbacks with Beth Mooney falling for 3 runs and Amelia Kerr scoring a quick 6. Seren Smale supported with an unbeaten 20 off 27 balls, while Deandra Dottin remained not out on 1. The bowling attack, led by Shabnim Ismail and Freya Davies, kept things tight, but Bryce’s composure under pressure stole the show.