The 32nd match of the Hundred will be played between Welsh Fire and London Spirit on August 18 at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. Between Fire and Spirit, the latter has a chance, albeit bleak, to make it to the knock-outs. With 6 points, Spirit will look to win those 2 crucial points to make a strong case for themselves in the semi-finals. Fire, on the other hand, would play for pride and would look to close the competition with a win.
Squads
Welsh Fire: Bryony Smith, Hayley Matthews, Georgia Redmayne, Sarah Taylor (wk), Sophie Luff (c), Georgia Hennessy, Piepa Cleary, Katie George, Alex Griffiths, Nicole Harvey, Hannah Baker, Alice Macleod, Amy Gordon, Natasha Wraith, Bethan Ellis, Lauren Filer
London Spirit: Naomi Dattani, Tammy Beaumont, Deandra Dottin, Heather Knight (c), Deepti Sharma, Chloe Tryon, Charlotte Dean, Danielle Gibson, Amara Carr (wk), Freya Davies, Sophie Munro, Alice Monaghan, Grace Scrivens, Aylish Cranstone, Susie Rowe
Players to watch out for
Hayley Matthews (Welsh Fire): The West Indian all-rounder is the highest run-getter for the Fire, with 214 runs from seven matches, including the best of 71 not out. She has a good strike rate of 123.69. With the ball, the off-spinner has accounted for nine wickets. She is also the leading wicket-taker for the Fire.
Georgia Redmayne (Welsh Fire): She is the second-highest run-scorer for the Fire with 152 runs from seven matches, including the best of 38 not out. The top-order bat has been a vital cog in the batting wheel of the Fire.
Heather Knight (London Spirit): The skipper is leading from the front with 180 runs from seven matches, including the best of 40. She is the top run-scorer for her side. She has a strike rate of 124.13. With the ball, the right arm off-spinner has accounted for two wickets.
Deepti Sharma (London Spirit): India’s star all-rounder has been the most successful bowler for the Spirit. She has picked up eight wickets from seven matches. She has the best figures of 2-10. Apart from her bowling, the southpaw has scored 77 runs at a strike rate of 113.23, including the best of 34 not out.
Weather conditions
It is a 3 pm (local) start at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. The weather looks good throughout the course of the match. There is no chance of rain as the weather forecasts show a low chance of precipitation. The average temperature is around 19 degrees Celsius, with a moderate breeze blowing from the west.
Pitch
This will be the fourth match of the tournament at the venue. In the last three matches, the teams batting second have won. The average score here has been 111. It is a good cricketing wicket as it offers assistance to both batters and bowlers. The pacers have dominated here as they have scalped 16 wickets, whereas the spinners have accounted for nine wickets.
Fantasy playing XI
Tammy Beaumont, Heather Knight, Georgia Redmayne, Naomi Dattani, Hayley Matthews, Deepti Sharma, Bryony Smith, Deandra Dottin, Piepa Cleary, Danielle Gibson, Hannah Baker
Date: August 18, 2021
Time: 7.30pm IST
Venue: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
Live streaming: Fan Code
Loves all things female cricket