The Welsh Fire, led by skipper Sophie Devine, were up against the MI London, led by skipper Hollie Armitage, at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, in the 2nd game of the first double-header day of the 6th edition of the Women’s Hundred on 25th July 2026.
Jemimah Rodrigues and skipper Sophie Molineux starred as Southern Brave sealed their 2nd consecutive victory with a 5-wicket win against Sunrisers Leeds, earlier in the day.
MI London made one change: Danielle Gregory replaced Kirstie Gordon in the side. The Welsh Fire retained the same side that took the field in their previous clash.
The MI London skipper Holie Armitage won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Welsh Fire openers Ella McCaughan and Georgia Voll got their side off to a positive start with a 49-run opening stand. Hayley Matthews broke the stand, by sending Ella McCaughan (27 off 23 balls) back to the pavilion in the 7th set of the innings to provide the much-needed first breakthrough for the visitors.
Skipper Sophie Devine joined Georgia Voll at the crease with her side at 51/2 in 38 balls. The pair stitched a crucial 41-run stand for the 3rd wicket, which took them closer to the 100-run mark. Amelia Kerr broke the stand, by sending Georgia Voll (42 off 26 balls) back to the pavilion in the 12th set of the innings to provide the crucial 3rd breakthrough for her side.
Georgia Wareham (43* off 20 balls) joined skipper Sophie Devine (52 off 29 balls) at the crease, and the pair provided the finishing touches to the innings with a sensational 79-run stand for the 4th wicket. The Welsh Fire eventually posted their 2nd-highest total for Welsh Fire: 177/4, which is also, overall, the 3rd-highest total in the history of the tournament.
Hayley Mathews (20-5-52-2), Amelia Kerr (20-5-33-1), and Danielle Gregory (10-4-8-0) were impressive with the ball for MI London.
Chasing a massive total of 178, the MI London top-order collapsed in their bid to keep up with the scoring rate under scoreboard pressure. Alice Davidson-Richards (17 off 15 balls) joined Chinelle Henry at the crease, with the visitors in deep trouble at 56/6 in the 8th set of the run chase. The pair showed character with a fighting 46-run stand for the 7th wicket, which also took them past the 100-run mark.
Skipper Sophie Devine broke the stand, by sending Chinelle Henry (30 off 23 balls) back to the pavilion in the 14th set of the run chase to provide the crucial 7th breakthrough for her side. MI London’s resistance eventually crumbled as the innings folded for 117, with 8 balls to spare, falling 60 runs short of the target. Amelia Kerr (14 off 11 balls), Danielle Wyatt-Hodge (12 off 8 balls), and Hayley Matthews (10 off 9 balls) were the only other batters to enter the double digits with the bat for the visitors.
Grace Potts (20-12-24-3), Sophia Smale (20-9-17-2), Georgia Wareham (17-6-23-2), and skipper Sophie Devine (10-4-15-2) were outstanding with the ball for Welsh Fire. Georgia Wareham was awarded the Player of the Match for her sensational all-round impact, scoring 43* (20 balls) with the bat and returning with match figures (17-6-23-2) with the ball in her spell. She, alongside skipper Sophie Devine, played a decisive role as the Welsh Fire registered her maiden victory in the 6th edition.
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