Orla Prendergast, Heather Graham Lead as Welsh Fire Women Seal Crucial Win

Welsh Fire, led by skipper Georgia Wareham, were up against the Manchester Super Giants, led by skipper Meg Lanning, at Emirates Old Trafford, Manchester, in the 21st match, the 1st game of the double-header on Wednesday (5th August 2026) in the ongoing 6th edition of the Women’s Hundred.

The Sunrisers Leeds kept their campaign alive by defeating London Spirit by 5 wickets at Leeds on 4th August 2026.

Orla Prendergast, Heather Graham Lead as Welsh Fire Women Seal Crucial Win
Orla Prendergast, Heather Graham Lead as Welsh Fire Women Seal Crucial Win; PC: Getty

Both sides made the required changes; Rebecca Tyson replaced Joanne Gardner in the Manchester Super Giants side. Sarah Bryce replaced Ella McCaughan in the side for Welsh Fire.

Orla Prendergast dismantled the Super Giants top-order, accounting for the scalps of skipper Meg Lanning (0 off 1 ball), Maddy Villiers (5 off 5 balls), Kathryn Bryce (4 off 2 balls), and were eventually reduced to 24/4 inside the powerplay after the visiting skipper Georgia Wareham won the toss and opted to field first.

Maitlan Brown joined Smriti Mandhana at the crease, and the duo tried to take the innings deep with a crucial 15-run stand for the 5th wicket. The Super Giants dealt another massive blow as Smriti Mandhana (15 off 17 balls) departed courtesy of a run-out in the 8th set of the innings to provide the crucial 5th breakthrough for the Welsh Fire.

A 16-run stand for the 8th wicket between Richa Ghosh (11 off 19 balls) and Ryana MacDonald-Gay, and another vital 14-run unbeaten stand for the final wicket between Bex Tyson (4* off 2 balls) and Ryana MacDonald-Gay (18* off 14 balls) took the Manchester Super Giants to a fighting total as they posted 85/9 in their quota of 100 deliveries. Orla Prendergast (20-12-18-4), Heather Graham (20-10-19-2), Sophia Smale (20-11-9-0), and skipper Georgia Wareham (20-7-13-0) were impressive with the ball for Welsh Fire.

Chasing a tricky total of 86, the Fire openers Sarah Bryce and Georgia Voll got them off to a steady start with a 27-run opening stand. Rebecca Tyson broke the stand by sending Sarah Bryce (16 off 15 balls) back to the pavilion courtesy of a brilliant return catch to provide the first breakthrough for the Super Giants in the 7th set of the run chase.

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Maddy Villiers removed Georgia Voll (16 off 23 balls) in the very next 8th set to bring the home side back into the contest. Skipper Georgia Wareham (17 off 17 balls) joined Freya Kemp at the crease, and the pair took them past the 50-run mark with another crucial 22-run stand for the 3rd wicket. Sophie Ecclestone broke the stand by sending Freya Kemp back to the pavilion in the 12th set of the run chase to provide the 3rd breakthrough for the Super Giants.

The home side put the squeeze on as they kept chipping away with wickets at regular intervals. The Meg Lanning-led side were almost on the verge of pulling off a sensational win; however, the duo of Heather Graham (16* off 17 balls) and the wicket-keeper batter Rhianna Southby (8* off 7 balls) kept their composure and guided the visitors over the line with 3 wickets in hand and 9 balls to spare.

Sophie Ecclestone (20-11-14-3) was the standout performer with the ball for the Super Giants. Rebecca Tyson (20-11-16-1), Maddy Villiers (16-3-23-1), and Kathryn Bryce (10-8-8-1) played their part with the ball for their side. Orla Prendergast was awarded the Player of the Match for her match-defining spell (20-12-18-4) with the ball for her side. The Welsh Fire have kept their campaign alive, climbing to the 4th position with 12 points from 6 games so far.

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