The Final of the 2nd edition of the FairBreak Invitational had the Warriors play Falcons at the Kowloon Cricket Club, Hong Kong. The game witnessed the former batting first on the back of a Matthews special post a massive total on the board that they then with absolute ease defended to claim the championship.
1st innings: Warriors – 230/4 (20.0)
The side batting first had Hayley Matthews get going right from ball 1 and despite having lost Phoebe Litchfield cheaply for 7, the Warriors had the early edge over Falcons. While Hayley went about her business of striking boundaries and maximums, the side continued to lose wickets on the other end as Ellie Johnston (10) and Mignon du Preez (8) departed cheaply. Hayley who’d got to her 50* of 20 balls, added the next fifty runs off 24 balls, and in the 15th over, with 155 on board, departed on 123(52).
🚨 FIFTY 🚨
Kathryn Bryce smashes the fastest half-century of FairBreak from 19 deliveries. 🔥 🔥
✨Warriors set the highest FairBreak Total: 230-4 (20 overs)#CricketTwitter #FairBreak #FBI23 📸 Fancode pic.twitter.com/0kdzt26AX4
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) April 16, 2023
Kathryn Bryce then teed off and was well partnered by Sindhu Sriharsha as the pair scored 75 runs off 35 balls which powered the side to finish on a massive 230 and the pair finished unbeaten on respective scores of 52*(20) and 25*(18). The Falcons in the wickets column had Anju Gurung (2/43 of 4), Chamari Athapaththu (1/41 of 4), and Mariko Hill (1/21 of 2) feature.
2nd innings: Falcons – 137/8 (20.0)
The side in reply had the start they would have wished for as openers Danni Wyatt and Chamari Athapaththu started well, but unfortunately for the Falcons, both the openers failed to convert their start having departed on respective scores of 20(12) and 29(17). Suzie Bates and Theertha Satish then shared a 44-run stand but not quite at the required rate as the side following Bates’ (21-ball 25) dismissal was 3 down for 97 in the 12th over.
Falcons failed to recover and the middle-order collapse saw them lose 5 for 28 as Mariko (5), Christina Gough (1), Jahanara Alam (3), and Sornnarin Tippoch (6) departed on single-digit scores. Theertha Satish too had departed in the mix of the middle-order collapse on 29(32), and late resistance saw Falcons finish on 137, falling 93 short of the required. Bryce led the Warriors wickets chart with figures of 3/14 (4) and had Hayley Matthews (2/14 of 3), Esha Oza (1/16 of 3) and Jess Kerr (1/36 of 4) follow.
WHAT A KNOCK ✨✨
Hayley Matthews smashes the joint highest individual score in FairBreak Invitational. Her knock included 11 4️⃣ s and 9 6️⃣ s 💪 #CricketTwitter #FairBreak #FBI23 pic.twitter.com/5TxdxYBlNG
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) April 16, 2023
Result: Warriors won by 93 runs
A remarkable turnaround this has been from the Warriors who after having finished at the bottom of the points table in the inaugural edition last year, this time around emerged as the champions.
Warriors won by 93 runs
Warriors: 230-4 (20)
Hayley Matthews: 123 (52)
Kathryn Bryce: 52* (20)
Anju Gurung: 2-43Falcons: 137-8 (20)
Chamari Athapaththu: 29 (17)
Theertha Satish: 29 (32)
Kathryn Bryce: 3-16#CricketTwitter #FairBreak #FBI23 pic.twitter.com/f51zUkiple— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) April 16, 2023
On the other hand, Falcons would be feeling the agony of falling short in a Final yet again, as it last summer was against the Tornadoes, and this time, against the Warriors. Nevertheless, for the Falcons to have had the tournament they did and to have lived up to their reputation is highly commendable.