It’ll be a face-off between Welsh Fire and Manchester Originals for match no. 2 of the 03 edition of The Hundred (Women’s). The game is slated to be played on the 2nd of August, 2023, at 4:00 PM Indian Standard Time (IST), at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.
Head-to-head, Welsh Fire and Manchester Originals have only contested in a couple of games, and the two teams have each won one game.
Squads:
Welsh Fire – Tammy Beaumont (C), Hayley Matthews, Sophia Dunkley, Shabnim Ismail, Georgia Elwiss, Freya Davies, Laura Harris, Alex Hartley, Alex Griffiths, Claire Nicholas, Sarah Bryce, Emily Windsor, Ella McCaughan, Chloe Skelton, Kate Coppack
Manchester Originals – Sophie Ecclestone (C), Deandra Dottin, Emma Lamb, Ellie Threlkeld, Laura Wolvaardt, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Kathryn Bryce, Katie George, Liberty Heap, Phoebe Graham, Fi Morris, Ami Campbell, Amara Carr, Mahika Gaur, Laura Jackson
Players to watch out:
Laura Harris
The 32-year-old batter in 85 Women’s Big Bash League (W-BBL) outings has accumulated 1061 runs, with a strike rate of 155.80, however, her average of 17.39 has been a concern. Her history in the tournament is no different; she has a strike rate of 174.28 in her 4 outings for the Northern Superchargers in the inaugural season, but only scored 61 runs.
Chloe Skelton
The 22-year-old impressive talent has had a promising domestic summer so far. Skelton bagged 5 wickets at an economy rate of 7.26 in 7 Charlotte Edwards (CE) Cup appearances, while in the 50-over competition, she produced 13 wickets in 7 outings at an economy rate of 5.45.
Fi Morris
The 29-year-old all-rounder had a brilliant CE Cup season, scoring 209 runs and taking 7 wickets at an economy rate of 6.56 in 8 games. Morris will rely on her experience and learnings from a decent Rachael Heyhoe Flint (RHF) Trophy season to make an impact in the competition.
Mahika Gaur
The exciting 19-year-old left-arm pacer has had quite a summer this year, signing her first professional contract with the Thunder and featuring for England in the ‘A’ series against Australia. Mahika has had a decent lead-up to the competition, having bagged 5 wickets in 8 CE Cup games and 6 wickets in 5 RHF Trophy appearances.
Pitch:
The 22 yards at Sophia Gardens pose a challenge for batters, offering substantial support to the bowlers, particularly the pacers. To post a match-winning total in the 130s, the batters will need to demonstrate adaptability to excel on this pitch.
Weather:
The temperature is forecasted to be around 17°C, with humidity at 86%, moderate winds, and a high chance of rain. Expect delayed starts and interruptions as there are forecasted shower spells even during match hours.
Fantasy playing XI:
Sarah Bryce, Sophia Dunkley, Emma Lamb, Laura Wolvaardt, Tammy Beaumont, Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Kathryn Bryce, Sophie Ecclestone, Amanda-Jade Wellington, Shabnim Ismail
Match details:
Date – August 2, 2023
Time – 4:00 PM IST
Venue – Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Broadcast – All games of the tournament will be telecasted on the Sony Sports Network and will be available for live-stream on Sony LIV and Fancode.